On video: Voters cast their ballots at polling stations in the state of Ohio in the midterm elections (Reuters)
After a long, tumultuous and particularly divisive campaign, millions of voters in the United States will go to the polls today (Tuesday) to choose their representatives in Congress and a host of positions at the state and local government levels, which will determine their lifestyle for the next two years.
This year, the red wave is clearly visible, and the Republican Party came to election day riding on the wings of fierce opposition to Democratic President Joe Biden, his agenda and the hope of regaining control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
If the Republican Party wins a majority of seats in the House or Senate, its members will be in a position to block Biden's domestic legislative agenda.
In the next two years, the world may witness an America run by divided government, including political stalemates, financial crises, and mutual investigations on both sides of the aisle.
How do the elections affect the House of Representatives?
In the House of Representatives, where the term of office of representatives lasts two years, all 435 seats are up for election.
Democrats currently control by a very narrow margin, but Republicans need just five seats to win the majority.
Why are the 435 members of the House of Representatives elected every two years?
Electing the members of the House of Representatives every two years allows the citizens who vote to have more direct and immediate control over the direction in which their government moves.
How do the elections affect the Senate?
In the Senate, which has one hundred seats, 35 seats are up for election.
The Senate, where senators serve six years,
is currently divided 50-50 between the two parties,
Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaking vote in favor of the Democratic Party.
However,
Republicans need just one seat to swing the majority in their favor.
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC (photo: official website)
Why are only a third of the senators up for election?
Senators serve six-year terms, while federal elections are held every two years.
The seats in the Senate are divided into three categories, and about a third are re-elected every two years.
What about the state governors?
There are 36 races for the position of state governor, in addition to a host of lower level positions at the state and local council levels.
The contest for the position of secretaries of state is of great importance this year because they are the ones who manage the elections in the country itself, including the presidential elections in 2024.
What are the main issues facing the elections?
Various issues are up for grabs, such as
access to abortion, changes to the voting system, gun control laws and recreational cannabis legislation.
The economy
is expected to determine the election results this year as well.
The cost of living in the United States is at a 40-year high, energy prices are rising and the American public is angry and frustrated.
Biden has not been able to translate the economic challenges into a strong and clear political message and insecurity among voters is high.
Some Democrats believe that during the campaign, their candidates ignored the real concerns of voters and focused more on fights with Republicans.
The Republicans, on the other hand, chose the strategy of pointing the finger of blame at Biden, regardless of the issue.
They attacked high inflation, crime, education and immigration as a radical democratic agenda.
Demonstration against the ban on abortion in the United States, in Ohio.
June 24, 2022 (Photo: Reuters)
What will happen if the Republicans win?
A Republican wave in the election will stabilize the key positions with candidates who support Trump, and are committed to his connection theory about election fraud in 2020.
The former president may arm the Republican-controlled House of Representatives against Biden ahead of the 2024 election.
Representative Kevin McCarthy, who will become Speaker of the House in the event of a Republican victory, did not rule out the possibility of trying to impeach Biden, although there is no evidence that he has committed any crime worthy of impeachment.
The Republican Party will make Biden's life miserable and destroy his hope of re-election in 2024 . They could open a series of investigations against him on issues ranging from the corona to the withdrawal from Afghanistan. In
the Senate, Republicans plan to make it difficult for Biden to approve cabinet appointments, important ambassadors in the world and judges, as well as fight over the budget, which could also exacerbate the global economic crisis.
The former president turned the midterm elections into a test of loyalty to him.
Leaders in the Republican Party prefer that Trump not interfere in the elections at all, something that was obviously not answered in the recent speeches of the former president who returns and hints at his 2024 run.
If he does run, his campaign may trigger a political collapse because there is a chance that indictments will be filed against him in one of the many investigations in which he is involved - and in particular the investigation into taking confidential documents from the White House to his Florida estate upon leaving the presidential residence.
Former US President Donald Trump leaves his home in New York, August 10, 2022 (Photo: Reuters)
What will happen if the Democrats win?
A Democratic Party victory would allow Biden to continue with his social and health legislation agenda, as well as the climate agenda and balance the judiciary by appointing liberal judges, after four years in which Trump appointed conservative judges.
Traditionally, the party of the incumbent president loses in the midterm elections.
If the results aren't as bad as Democrats predict, Biden will get a positive boost as he considers a second run in 2024.
If the Republicans succeed in a big way, doubts will grow about his ability to serve as president, especially in light of his advanced age (he will celebrate 80 this month).
US President Joe Biden in Pennsylvania. August 30, 2022 (Photo: Reuters)
What is a replacement seat?
A swing seat is a seat in the House of Representatives or the Senate that voters take from one party and give to the other party in the election.
What are special elections?
When a senator retires, dies, or leaves office before his term ends, the governor of the state from which he was appointed usually fills the vacant seat.
In that case, voters only have the opportunity to choose as they wish in the upcoming federal election.
This year, there is a special Senate election in Oklahoma, where Republican Sen. James Einhope will retire next year.
In California, Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, appointed as Kamala Harris' replacement when she was elected vice president, is running to complete Harris' term in January and to win the next term.
The members of the House of Representatives cannot be appointed, therefore when a seat in the House of Representatives becomes vacant, special elections must be held to fill it.
This year, a special election will be held in Indiana for the last two months of the term of House of Representatives member Jackie Walorski who died in a car accident in August.
When will we know who the winner is?
The final results will probably be announced days or weeks after the elections.
Overall, about 21 million Americans have already cast early ballots in 46 states.
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The American Senate (photo: official website, Twitter)
Election night
In the House of Representatives, there are some particularly close races that provide some insight into the election.
If the Republicans start winning in the suburbs and districts where Biden was not as popular as Trump in 2020, you could say they are on the way to a general victory.
Republicans can win a majority in the House of Representatives if they sweep the seats in New York state.
The race in Colorado's eighth congressional district is also particularly critical.
Another close race was held in Virginia's Seventh District.
If the Democrats continue to rule there, there is a chance that the Red Wave will be somewhat restrained.
Michigan's Seventh District is an area of high importance as well.
In the Senate, you should pay attention to the elections in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia.
A Democratic victory in Pennsylvania would reflect the Democrats' best chance of winning a Republican seat.
Peterman, a progressive Democrat leads Dr. Mehmet Oz in the polls - although the director had a stroke in May that forced him to stay at home for months. Oz is a millionaire TV star and Donald Trump's running mate. Lev, 61, previously hosted a show called "The Dr. Oz Show", and was a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey's show.
He and Trump have been friends for nearly 20 years.
Oz's campaign has benefited from tens of millions of dollars in donations.
Pennsylvania is a swing state where elections are usually close.
In 2020, Biden beat Trump in the state by less than 1.2%.
More in Walla!
US: Senate split 50-50, mid-term elections will determine who will rule
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