The US midterm elections are nationwide elections held every two years, halfway through a president's four-year term.
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elections → hold → term
This year's elections will take place on November 3 with voters choosing members of Congress as well as several state and local officials.
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voters → take → Congress
Unlike presidential elections, midterms do not decide who occupies the White House.
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who → decide → House
Instead, they determine which party controls Congress for the next two years, making them a crucial test of President Donald Trump's political standing and his ability to push through his agenda.
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them → determine → agenda
The US Congress has two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and midterm elections determine the composition of both.
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elections → have → both
All 435 seats in the House are contested every two years, as members serve two-year terms.
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members → contest → terms
In the Senate, where members serve six-year terms, roughly one-third of the 100 seats come up for election every two years.
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third → serve → election
This time, 35 Senate seats, including two special-election contests, are at stake.
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seats → include → stake
Alongside congressional races, voters in several states will also elect governors and other state and local officials.
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voters → elect → governors
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.
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Republicans → hold → Congress
The 435-member House has 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent who caucuses with Republicans and two vacant seats.
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who → have → Republicans
A party needs 218 seats for a majority.
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party → need → majority
Meanwhile, the Senate has 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats and allied independents, with 51 seats required for a majority.
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seats → have → majority
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in each chamber to take control of both.
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Democrats → need → both
The outcome could therefore hinge on a small number of closely contested races.
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outcome → hinge → races
Why do the midterms matter for Trump?
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midterms → matter → Trump
The party controlling Congress has considerable influence over the president's ability to govern.
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party → control → ability
Congress passes legislation, approves government spending and oversees the executive branch.
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Congress → pass → branch
The Senate also confirms presidential nominees to key government positions, including federal judges and senior administration officials.
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Senate → confirm → judges
If Democrats take control of either chamber, they could make it harder for Trump to pass legislation, influence budget negotiations and intensify congressional scrutiny of his administration through hearings and investigations.
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Trump → take → hearings
A Democratic majority in the House could also revive discussions of impeachment, although impeachment by itself would not remove the president from office.
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impeachment → revive → office
Removal requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
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Removal → require → Senate
Trump would remain president regardless of the election outcome.
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Trump → remain → outcome
He would retain his executive powers and the ability to veto legislation, but a divided Congress could significantly constrain his domestic agenda.
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Congress → retain → agenda
What issues are shaping the vote?
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issues → shape → vote
Foreign policy, including the war involving Iran, is also part of the political debate.
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policy → include → debate
Trump's approval ratings and public perceptions of his administration's performance are likely to influence the results.
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ratings → influence → results
Midterm elections are often viewed as a referendum on the sitting president, with the party in the White House frequently losing congressional seats.
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party → view → seats
Disputes over voting rules, election administration and the drawing of congressional district boundaries have also become contentious issues.
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Disputes → become → boundaries
When will voting take place and when will results come?
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results → take → place
Voting will take place on Tuesday, November 3, across the United States.
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Voting → take → States
Polling hours vary by state, and there is no single nationwide closing time.
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hours → vary → state
The first polling stations in parts of Indiana and Kentucky are scheduled to close at 6 pm Eastern Time, which is around 4.30 am on November 4 as per Indian Standard Time.
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which → schedule → Time
Results are expected to emerge through the night, but close contests may take longer to resolve.
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contests → expect → night
Election officials must count outstanding ballots, verify results and, where necessary, conduct recounts or deal with legal challenges.
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officials → count → challenges
News organisations may project winners before every ballot has been counted.
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ballot → project → winners
State election authorities certify the final results, a process that can take days or weeks.
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that → certify → days
Where can you check the results?
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you → check → results
- US Election Assistance Commission (EAC): A federal agency that provides election information and links to official state election offices.
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that → provide → offices
- USA.gov: The US government's official portal, which directs users to state websites for election results and voting information.
- Federal Election Commission (FEC): The federal agency responsible for campaign finance oversight.
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which → direct → oversight
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
