EXPLAINED: US Midterm Elections 2022 — What Are Midterms, Who Contests And What’s At Stake This Year
US Midterms 2022: The outcome of the November 8 elections is set to have a major impact on President Joe Biden's remaining two years of rule. Midterm elections happen in the US every four years.
US Midterm Elections 2022: The United States Of America is holding its midterm elections on November 8, 2022. The outcome of these elections is set to have a major impact on President Joe Biden's remaining two years of rule, though the ballots won’t have his name on them. According to US media reports, the results could not bring good news for the Democrats. However, that’s how it has been. Voters have traditionally given a thumbs down to the ruling party in the midterms. This year’s midterms bring the first opportunity for the voters to reflect on Biden’s presidency.
President Biden’s approval rating among voters has been at less than 50% for more than a year now.
What Are US Midterms?
Midterm elections happen in the US every four years, taking place halfway through a president’s term. Presidential elections also happen every four years, and the midterms are usually regarded as a referendum on the president.
These elections are for the US Congress, which is responsible for making laws and is made up of two parts — the Senate and the House of Representatives, which are upper and lower chambers of the Congress. Each US state has two senators who are elected for six-year terms. House members, representing smaller districts, serve for two years.
While these polls happen every two years, every alternate polling taking place in the middle of a president's four-year term of office, is referred to as the midterms.
The November 8 votes will have all 435 seats in the House of Representatives up for grabs, along with one-third — 35 out of 100 — of the Senate seats, according to reports. Besides, many big states will be electing their governor and local officials in these polls.
At present, the Senate is split between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. The 50 Democrats include ally independents Angus King and Bernie Sanders.
What’s At Stake In US Midterms 2022?
For the past two years, the Democratic Party has held the majority in both the Senate and the House. But this can change after the votes that will see a tight contest, feel observers. The midterms have the control of Congress at stake.
According to reports in the international media, while the Democrats could hold on to the Senate, Republicans are likely to take the House of Representatives. A Republican control of either could derail most legislation President Biden and his fellow Democrats would want to enact.
A BBC report said suburban areas around cities in states like California, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Ohio would be key. In the Senate, the report said, four of the 35 seats could go either way. These are in Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Though the Democrats have a slim hope of keeping the Senate majority, Republicans actually need to gain just one seat to take control. The Senate seats are currently divided 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans with Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, having the tie-breaking vote. She has during her term cast the most 26 tie-breaking votes by a VP since John Calhoun in 1825-32.
As far as House seats are concerned, the ruling party usually loses them in the midterms, and this year is unlikely to see any exception.
In 2018, mid-way through Donald Trump’s presidency, his Republican Party lost 41 House seats. Control of the House flipped in 2010 and 2006 also, during the presidency of Barack Obama and George W Bush, respectively.
Republicans this year need to gain only five seats to get the House majority.
Big Issues In US Midterms 2022
The November 8 polls will see voters decide on 132 statewide ballot measures. Price rise, immigration and crime were seen as the biggest issues during Biden rule from the beginning — the issues that have traditionally won votes for conservative Republicans. But things changed in June when the US Supreme Court overturned the national abortion laws.
The 2022 midterms feature the most abortion-related ballot measures on record, according to official figures. This gives a boost to the pro-choice Democrats who believe women have the right to decide on terminating a pregnancy, the BBC report says. It, however, adds that the immediate impact of that decision is now fading and Republicans are trying to turn the focus back to old issues.
If the Democrats manage to hang on, the report says, they will be able to go ahead with climate change plans, protect abortion rights, expand healthcare programmes, and tighten gun control. Republican control of either Senate or House could put a spanner in these plans.
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