Voting continues in a key US election that will decide whether Republicans end the Democratic Party's hold on Washington and take back the House and Senate.

The balloting on Tuesday marks the first major national elections since the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the US Supreme Court’s decision in June to end constitutional protection of abortion rights.

Emotions were raw as people stood outside libraries, fitness centres, laundromats and fire stations to cast ballots.

From Lewiston, Maine, to rainy Pacoima, California, they held infants in their arms and wore uniforms, suits and workout clothes as they waited to vote.

Many said inflation, abortion, crime and the future of democracy weighed heavily on their minds.

READ MORE:Polls begin to close in US midterm elections