BBC Newscast Roundtable: What to Watch in the US Midterm Elections

Ahead of Tuesday's results programme, BBC Newscast's Adam and Katrina are joined in the Washington studio by Stephen Hawkins, global director of research at More in Common, for a wide-ranging briefing on the US midterm elections. The conversation covers why control of Congress matters for presidential power, which Senate and House seats are in contention, and the voter concerns shaping the campaign.

■ Why the midterms matter
- The scale of the vote: 435 House races and 35 Senate seats, and how a change of control would act as a check on the executive branch
■ The national picture
- Polling leads, approval ratings, and the issues driving sentiment, including cost of living, the conflict with Iran, corruption, and accountability over Epstein-associated figures
- Turnout, small-dollar fundraising, and how each party is framing its argument to persuadable and independent voters
■ State-level battlegrounds
- Case studies from Kansas, Michigan, Maine, Texas and Florida's 25th district, plus redistricting, immigration policy and the Latino vote
- AI as a rising voter concern, with local opposition to data center construction
■ Looking ahead
- Two circulating theories about the aftermath: investigations or impeachment, and how a poor Republican result could shape foreign policy and election certification
- Lighter studio exchanges, including impressions of leading political figures

This is aimed at viewers who want context before results night: it explains what each race would mean, which states and issues to follow, and how to interpret the outcome once the polls close.