Here's a beginner's guide to really understand why midterm elections are a deciding moment for the country.
🗳️ What are the US Midterms?
The midterms are important political elections in the United States. They happen every two years, right in the middle of a president's four-year term.
Americans will go to vote on November 3. They are choosing members of Congress, which is the group of people who make national laws for the country. Congress has two parts:
- The House of Representatives: All 435 seats are up for election.
- The Senate: 35 of the 100 seats are up for election.
🛒 Why do they matter?
Right now, Donald Trump is the president, and his party (the Republicans) controls both parts of Congress. However, their majority is very small.
If the opposition party (the Democrats) wins control of even one part of Congress, they can block Trump's plans and start investigations into his presidency. If the Republicans keep control, Trump can easily pass his laws.
The election is also a way for people to show if they are happy with the president. Currently, Trump's popularity has dropped from 50% to about 37%.
🗣️ What are the main topics?
Voters are thinking about three main things this year:
- The Economy: High prices for food, fuel, and housing are making life difficult for many Americans.
- Immigration: Republicans support Trump’s strict border controls, but Democrats disagree with his methods.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Many politicians want to create laws to control AI, but Trump does not want to limit the technology.
🔮 What happens next?
The results will tell us how Americans feel about the direction of the country. Because a US president can only serve two terms, Trump cannot run again in the next big election in 2028. After these midterms, politicians will immediately start preparing to see who will try to become the next president.
Wish to visualize the full timeline of the process? Enjoy!
