On November 3, American citizens are called to the polls for the midterm elections. What is known as ‘midterms’ will mean the renewal of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the United States. An issue of great importance for the current president, Donald Trump, whose legislative capacity will depend directly on the results.
Due to the relevance that these elections will have in the remainder of his term, Trump has paid special attention to the campaign rallies held in red states. A motivated question before the growing discontent that has generated around his figure in recent months, which has caused, according to the latest polls by The Washington Post and ABC News, the Democrats to be winners by a difference of 19 points, according to “CNN”
Although the elections will not take place until November 3, the process to send the vote by mail has already begun. That is why, in recent months, the representative of the American Republican Party has made controversial promises such as giving a check for $5,000 if they win the plebiscites or eliminating restrictions on farmers to use a type of gasoline that benefits them.
But what are midterm elections?
Midterm elections are plebiscites held to renew the members of the United States Congress. Although they are also held every four years, like the presidential elections, they take place on the second November of each month, to coincide with the middle of the president’s termwhich gives rise to its name.
Specifically, American citizens have the right to elect the 435 members of the House of Representatives and to the 100 senators that make up Congress. A body that controls and establishes a balance over the executive power held by the leader and vice president of the country, since it is in charge of the Legislative Branch. It is for this reason that the results of these elections will directly affect the last two years of Trump’s term.
As explained on the US Vote foundation website, this plebiscite represents a confrontation between the two main parties in the United States: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. If the representative’s party wins, the path will be paved to be able to carry out legislative reforms or make decisions as relevant as declaring war on other countries. While, if the opposition wins, Congress may block, modify or supervise the actions of the government.
Why will the results affect Trump’s term?
Although the midterm elections do not determine the beginning or end of the country’s president, it does give the opposition the possibility of increasing its representation in its main legislative body. Specifically, Congress will be in charge of analyze the political decisions made by the leaderbeing able to block them or force you to modify them if they consider it appropriate. The current composition of the House of Representatives gives the majority to Trump’s party.
On the other hand, the Senate can initiate a process of supervision and investigation into the members of the Administration and the management of federal agencies. Likewise, it is responsible for enacting legislation and approve appointments and treaties made by the president. Currently, its composition is mostly from the Republican Party, with 53 senators, compared to 45 from the Democratic Party. It is also made up of two independent members.
However, the majority of the Republican Party could be lost with the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections. According to the latest polls conducted by The Washington Post and ABC News, the Democrats would manage to reach 58% of the votes compared to the 39% that the Republicans would reach, reports “CNN.” Furthermore, according to the analysis carried out by the Decision Desk portal, the opposition would have a 77% chance of winningreports “EFE”.