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5 Big Questions About the Midterm Elections

On November 3, many public schools will be filled with voters instead of students. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Will Americans be voting for president on Election Day?

Not this year. The midterms take place midway through a president’s four-year term. Although voters won’t be picking a president, they will choose other important leaders—including many of the people who will represent them in Congress.

The U.S. Congress has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. On November 3, voters will choose representatives for all 435 positions, called seats, in the House. In the Senate, 35 out of 100 seats are up for grabs.

Many seats in both chambers are held by people who have been re-elected multiple times and are expected to win again. But some races don’t have a clear front-runner. 

2. What exactly does Congress do?

Congress is the lawmaking branch of the U.S. government. Members of Congress meet in the U.S. Capitol (right) in Washington, D.C. Their main job is to write, debate, and pass bills, or proposals for new laws. Bills passed by Congress may then be signed into law by the president.

A Closer Look at Congress

House of Representatives

  • 435 representatives
  • Each representative is elected to a two-year term. 
  • Each state elects at least one representative, who serves the people in a particular district within a state. States with larger populations have more districts—and more representatives. 

Senate

  • 100 senators
  • Each senator is elected to a six-year term.
  • Each state elects two senators. They represent a whole state. 

3. Why are the midterm elections important?

The midterms determine which political party controls Congress. The two main political parties are the Democrats and the Republicans. They disagree on many important issues, such as how to create jobs and how the U.S. should deal with other countries.

President Donald Trump is a Republican. The midterms will serve as a kind of report card for him. 

“Often the voters don’t give the president a very good midterm grade, and that leads them to support the other party,” explains Kyle Kondik. He’s an expert on politics at the University of Virginia. 

Right now, Republicans hold a slim majority of the seats in both the House and the Senate. That means bills the president supports have a good chance of being passed. But that would likely change if Democrats were to win enough seats to take control of either chamber of Congress.

4. Are any other elections happening on November 3?

Thousands of them! For starters, voters in 36 states will elect a governor, the head of their state government. Across the U.S., people will also vote for candidates in state and local races.

Kondik explains that it’s important to pay attention to those races because they can have a big impact on kids’ lives. After all, the government of a city or town is often in charge of funding things like schools, public libraries, and local parks.

This Year’s Big Races

This map shows the elections that will take place on November 3. The number in each state indicates how many representatives that state has. Which big races are being decided in your state?

Jim McMahon/Mapman®

5. Do most Americans usually vote in the midterm elections? 

Unfortunately, voter turnout for the midterm elections is often pretty low. In 2022, for example, only about 46 percent of Americans who could have voted actually cast ballots. 

Kondik says it’s important for kids to encourage the adults they know to vote in their national, state, and local races. 

“Voting is the one way you can really have a say in what’s happening in your community,” he says.

1. Based on the article, what is a front-runner in an election?

2. What are the two parts of the U.S. Congress? Describe one way they are similar and one way they are different.

3. Why is it important to pay attention to state and local elections, according to the article?

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