Will Joe Biden manage to keep his fragile majority in Congress? Or will he hand over control of the Senate and House of Representatives to Republicans who will try to obstruct the policies of the American president? The answer will come on November 8, in the mid-term or by-elections, according to AFP.

In this election, voters will nominate members of Congress from the Washington state legislature and nearly all local state legislatures, as well as governors in 36 of the 50 states.

These midterm elections, organized two years after the presidential election, effectively turn into a referendum on the occupant of the White House. In more than 160 years, the presidential party has rarely avoided a sanctions vote.

That Americans are called to choose

The President of the United States will not be on the ballot this fall.

As every two years, all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives are up for grabs.

In the Senate, which has 100 elected members, mandates last for six years. More than a third will be upgraded on November 8: 35 seats.

The newly elected will begin their mandate on January 3, 2023.

Americans will also elect some governors and a number of local elected officials who will determine their state’s policies on abortion, environmental regulations, and more.

What is at stake?

The impact of these elections can be decisive for the entire country.

Joe Biden is pleading with Americans to give him enough of a majority to bypass parliamentary rules that currently prevent him from legalizing abortion nationwide or banning vending machines.

“Americans are the ones who choose,” the president said in a recent speech. He emphasized that abortions, weapons, and the health care system are all “on the ballot.”

For their part, Republicans promise to get tough on inflation and the opioid crisis and continue to crack down on transgender athletes.

Candidates from the “big old party” have also promised to launch a series of congressional investigations into Joe Biden, his pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci and Attorney General Merrick Garland if they win a majority in the House of Representatives. At the same time, they plan to stop the activities of the commission investigating the attack on the US Congress carried out by supporters of Donald Trump.

What do the polls say?

According to the latest opinion polls, the Republican opposition has a good chance of winning at least 10-20 seats in the lower house – enough to secure a majority.

Polls are more mixed on the fate of the Senate, where Democrats hope to retain their majority.

Double referendum

Although Joe Biden’s name is not on the ballot, many Americans see this election as a referendum on the president.

But this election is also a real test for the political future of Donald Trump, who has been heavily involved in the campaign, organizing rallies across the country.

For both, who are considering running for president in 2024, the outcome of the “mid-term elections” could be a decisive moment that will stop the momentum of one of them or, conversely, accelerate the other.

Source: Agerpres