2018 US midterm elections - All You Need To Know

What are the midterm elections?
Midterm elections to the legislatures are held in the middle of a presidential term. The polls allow American voters to express their opinion on the president’s tenure so far as well as on other key national issues.
Which seats are up for re-election?
All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives (the lower house, or chamber of US Congress) are up for re-election. In the Senate (the upper house or chamber), 35 out of the 100 seats are in play, as are almost 40 governorships and the balance of power in virtually every state legislature. Trump himself has acknowledged that the 2018 midterms, above all, represent a referendum on his presidency.

When do the polls close?

Most polling places will close between 7 pm EST Tuesday (5:30 am IST Wednesday) and 11 pm EST Tuesday (9:30 am IST Wednesday). But in Alaska and Hawaii, most will shut at midnight EST (10:30 am IST Wednesday). Of the states with earlier closures, Florida, Pennsylvania and New York have a number of House seats which Democrats consider winnable.
How many Indian-American candidates are in the fray?
At a time when anti-immigrant sentiment is at its peak in the US, nearly 100 Indian-Americans are on the ballot for the midterm elections and have emerged as strong contenders.
While all eyes would be on the so-called “Samosa Caucus” — the unofficial group of five Indian-Americans in the current Congress — the emergence of such a large number of young Indian-Americans in the elections reflects the growing desire of this small ethnic community comprising one per cent of the US population for a more visible political role.
All the four Indian-American lawmakers in the present House of Representatives are expected to easily sail through in the midterm polls. Apart from three-term Congressman Ami Bera from the seventh Congressional district of California, three first-timers are seeking their re-election. They are Ro Khanna from 17th Congressional District of California, Raja Krishnamoorthi from eighth Congressional District of Illinois and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal from seventh Congressional District of Washington State.
The four incumbents are joined by seven other Indian-Americans on the ballot for House of Representatives.
Successful entrepreneur Shiv Ayyadurai is the sole Indian-American to be running for Senate. He has pitched himself as an independent against Elizabeth Warren -- a potential Democratic presidential candidate -- for the Senate seat in Massachusetts.