Midterm elections affect state representation in Congress. During this time, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and a third of Senate seats are up for grabs. Winners of midterm elections are determined by popular vote, as opposed to the electoral college system that is used to elect the president.idterm elections will be held nationwide on November 8. Although voter turnout is historically lower than in general elections, midterms are just as important and can have a significant impact on the way the United States government works.
In the Senate, there are 34 seats on the line, with 14 Democrats up for reelection. Currently, Republicans hold 50 seats, meaning Democrats will need to maintain their current number of seats, 48, plus win three more to attain an outright majority. (There are currently two Independent Senators who caucus with the Democrats, and Vice President Kamala Harris can serve as a tie-breaking vote).
On the state level, there will be 36 governorships and 30 state attorney general offices on ballots. Of the 36 governorships, 20 of them are currently occupied by Republicans. Although these state positions might seem less important than congressional seats, winning a majority in these areas would allow Democrats to pursue liberal legislation outside of Washington, D.C. In particular, they’re vitally important to the protection of abortion rights, especially as the Supreme Court weighs the reversal of Roe v. Wade in their current term.
Why do midterms matter? Midterm elections are important because they help determine power in Congress. As stated in the Constitution, Congress is a legislative body that has the authority to make laws. As a bill only becomes law with approval from both the House and the Senate, the political party with the majority in both chambers of Congress is more likely to have their legislation passed. This is especially important when it comes to bills that impact a lot of people, like those that would protect data privacy or secure voting rights. Midterm elections are important because they provide voters with the opportunity to change the party in power. Fifty-one seats are required for a political party to have control in the Senate, while 218 are needed to achieve a majority in the House. There are currently 11,831 bills and resolutions before Congress. In the 117th Congress, there have been 309 bills and joint resolutions that have become laws with a Democratic majority.
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