Early voter turnout looks higher than expected

Americans went to the polls today in all 50 states, to elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 37 different Senators. The outcomes will determine which party, Republican or Democratic, controls each house of Congress for at least the next two years.

The Democratic Party currently has majorities in both the House and the Senate, but the numbers in each house are likely to change and control, in one or both houses, may change, too.

Most of the political pundits are predicting a Republican victory in the House of Representatives large enough to return control to the GOP for the first time since 2006. Current predictions also say that Republicans, although they will gain seats in the Senate, will fall short of a majority.

Several major news organization, basing their estimates on exit polls, are declaring Republican Rand Paul the victor over Democrat Jack Conway in the race for a U.S. Senate seat from Kentucky.

Paul, 47, the son of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-TX, is a tea party favorite. Another tea party favorite, Republican Marco Rubio, has been projected as the winner of the Florida U.S. Senate race.

In Delaware, Democrat Chris Coons is projected as the winner over Republican and tea partier Christine O'Donnell.

Early predictions have also handed victories to Republican Bob Portman in Ohio for the Senate seat left vacant by retiring Republican Senator George Voinovich, thus keeping the seat in the GOP, and to Republican Dan Coats for the Indiana senate seat.

Although it is still very early,  reports coming from election officials suggest that Democrats may be turning out their voters at a higher rate than was anticipated, which would be good news for the party, as it needs high turnout to stand a chance to turning back the developing Republican wave.

In St. Louis, Missouri and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, election officials are reporting turnout nearly as high as 2008, and published reports are saying turnout is also high in Ohio, New York and South Carolina.

Check the IBTimes election map throughout the night for results from around the country.

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