US Heads to the Polls – Trump Could Lose Power

 

Malin Carlsson/TT, Georgina Harris/TT

 

Published 11:51 | Updated 17:30

          

         Voters cast their ballots at a polling station in New York on Tuesday morning. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/           AP/TT

Polling stations have opened in nearly every US state. The country’s 245 million eligible voters can now cast their ballots in the midterm elections—an election that will determine the balance of power in the US Congress.

At the same time, it serves as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s administration.

Donald Trump’s tone and his last-minute campaigning in the lead-up to the midterms appear to have raised eyebrows among many.

On Monday—the day before Election Day—Trump devoted a large portion of a speech to the renovation of the White House and the Reflecting Pool in front of the presidential residence in Washington. Late Monday, he issued new threats against Iran and made mocking remarks about “conquering Venezuela,” and on Tuesday, he signaled an intention to cut back on certain US military aid to Israel.

“Blue Wave” in the Polls

A recurring theme throughout the campaign has been Trump’s urging of voters to view the congressional election as a vote on him personally. “Pretend that I am the one on the ballot,” the president has said.

However, public confidence in Donald Trump is at very low levels, according to several opinion polls. A protracted war in Iran, combined with high fuel and oil prices, is believed to be fueling growing frustration among many Americans who are already under economic strain. “Energy prices are high, the economy is terrible. We’ve lost jobs during the two years he’s been in power. It’s frightening,” business owner Arness Rogers tells CNN at a polling station north of Detroit, in the state of Michigan.

Mellanårsvalet i USA

Incumbent presidents often face setbacks

It is not unusual for an incumbent president to face headwinds in a midterm election—quite the contrary. In almost every midterm election in modern times, the president’s party has lost seats in Congress. According to the latest opinion polls, it looks like there could be a “blue wave”—a Democratic success this year as well.

However, polls have been wrong before—most notably in 2016, when Donald Trump won the presidential election against Hillary Clinton.

Millions of voters are heading to polling stations across the country; according to CNN, more than 57 million Americans had already cast their ballots early.

Currently, the Republicans control both chambers of Congress: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Democrats need to gain three seats in the House and four in the Senate to shift the balance of power in the U.S. legislature.

Facts

The U.S. Midterm Elections

On November 3, the United States holds its midterm elections. Americans are choosing who will represent them in the two chambers of Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for election. Additionally, voters in 36 states are electing governors.

Heading into the election, the Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, Republicans hold 218 seats and Democrats 214; two seats are vacant, and one member is independent, out of a total of 435 seats.

Congress enacts federal laws, decides on taxes and appropriations, and approves the federal budget. Congress also reviews and confirms cabinet secretaries and other high-ranking officials. Furthermore, Congress can remove federal officials—including the president and judges—from office through impeachment.