On November 3, about 210 million registered voters will decide how much power Donald Trump has for the rest of his US presidency. Trump is not on the ballot, but control of the United States Congress is. Made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Congress writes the country’s laws and controls federal spending.
In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera breaks down how the elections work, which races matter and what the results could mean for either party. Held halfway through a US president’s four-year term, midterm elections decide the makeup of Congress. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats are being contested, including special elections in the states of Florida and Ohio to fill the seats vacated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
Voters in 36 states will also elect governors. House members represent one congressional district each and serve two-year terms, while senators serve six-year terms. Midterm elections are also widely considered a referendum on the sitting president’s performance.
Since 1946, the president’s party has lost an average of 26.5 seats in the House and a handful in the Senate in midterm elections, according to Todd Belt, a professor of political management at George Washington University. Beyond Congress and governors, voters will also elect state legislators and local officials. Nadia Brown, a professor of government at Georgetown University, said that while national elections get most of the attention, “It is important to remember that local politics is where most Americans interact with government.” She added that “It is the local propositions or referendums on ballots [that] will impact the everyday lives of people.” Republicans hold majorities in both chambers.
Losing either would give Democrats the power to block legislation and launch investigations into Trump’s administration. Democrats need to gain three seats in the House and four in the Senate to take control. A 50-50 split in the Senate would leave Republicans in control, because Vance can cast tie-breaking votes.
Belt said a Democratic victory could significantly limit Trump’s ability to pursue his domestic agenda. The House of Representatives is the lower house of the US Congress. Its 435 members each represent one local district and serve two-year terms, so every seat is contested every two years.
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