Why are there midterm elections in the United States?

Just a few days later, the US mid-term elections. The parties have already started campaigning ahead of this important election. Who will control Congress (the US Parliament) will be determined by this election in November. At the same time, the future of president Joe Biden's next two years will be decided.

What and why midterm elections?

President of the United States is elected for four years. Mid-term elections are held two years after the presidential election. Midterm elections are an important part of the US Constitution and parliamentary system. It is one of the means of maintaining power as well as checking popularity.

In the 2020 election, Democrat leader Joe Biden came to power after defeating former Republican President Donald Trump. Two years after he took office, mid-term elections are going to be held on November 8. On that day, the American people will vote once more.

Who is elected and how?

The people are represented in the US government by 535 lawmakers, known as members of Congress. The two houses of the US Congress and Parliament. The upper house is the Senate and the lower house is the House of Representatives. These two houses of Congress work separately to make laws.

Senate has 100 members. Regardless of size, each state in the United States elects two members of the Senate, known as senators, who are elected for six-year terms. One-third of the Senate seats are up for election every two years. In other words, out of 100 constituencies, elections will be held in 35 seats in this year's mid-term elections.

There are 435 members in the House of Representatives (abbreviated as 'House'). Each member represents a particular district of their state. They are called MPOs. They are elected for a two-year term. So after two years elections are held for all the seats in the House.

In addition to the Senate and House, elections for governor, state legislatures across the country, local councils and school boards are held.

When are the midterm elections?

This year mid-term elections will be held on November 8. By convention, US primary elections are held on the first Tuesday of November, even if that first Tuesday is the first day of the month. As such, this year's mid-term elections are being held on November 8.

Who is in control of the current Congress?

Both houses of Congress are now controlled by incumbent Democrats. Because of that, President Biden has not had any difficulty in passing any bill or law so far. However, their majority is by a very small margin.

If the Republican Party wins a majority in either or both houses of Congress in the midterm elections, they can block any of President Biden's plans. In the midterm elections, Republicans need to win five additional seats to gain a majority in the House of Representatives.

The competition will be more intense in the Senate. Currently, the 100-member Senate has 50-50 members from both parties. But Democrats may control the Senate. Because if there is a tie vote on an issue, then the vice president of the country can use his vote to decide the winner or loser.

Republicans need to win just one additional seat to take control of the Senate in the midterm elections. The candidates for the seats of the Senate which will be elected this time, have been decided in the 'primary elections' held between May and September.

Who can win?

History shows that usually the party that holds the White House does poorly in the midterm elections. So there are indications that the Republicans may increase their number of seats. Moreover, President Biden's popularity is low at the moment. His approval rating has been stuck below 50 percent since last August. As a result, support for Democratic candidates may decline.

President Joe Biden's White House is not very optimistic about this election. Fears of defeat have built up in the Democrat camp. However, despite campaigning strongly, the Biden camp does not see much hope of winning the election. Democrats worry they could lose control of both houses of Congress in the midterm elections.

At least that's what recent opinion polls say. The Democrats who were comfortably ahead in the polls a few days ago are now at the bottom. It was thought that there would be a close fight between the two parties in the Senate elections. But the polls are currently in favor of the Republicans.

What happens next?

Once the midterm elections are over, all eyes will turn to the 2024 presidential election. Many believe that this could be a repeat of the 2020 fight. Because current President Biden and former President Trump - both of them have said that they are considering running again. But it is heard that some new candidates will enter the field this time.

Apart from Congress seats, 36 governorships in 50 states will be up for election on November 8. Of these 36, 20 are now held by Republicans. Governors can play a big role in favoring their party's candidates when the presidential campaign begins.