Early voting begins in US midterms that could flip control of Congress

In-person voting for this year's midterm elections begins Friday, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide who they trust to lead Congress through a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues.

Election administrators say they're prepared and confident the vote will be accurate and secure.

Nevertheless, President Donald Trump has continued with efforts to denigrate certain voting methods and reshape how US elections are run, through court challenges, an expansive federal hunt for noncitizen voters and a pressure campaign to force election officials to share sensitive voter data.

Friday marks the start of early voting in Virginia.

Voters in a handful of other states, including Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota, are able to cast absentee ballots in person, typically at a local election office or voting centre.

More expansive early voting is scheduled to begin in those and other states in the coming weeks.

The November 3 election includes vot