WASHINGTON (AFP/News Desk) – Americans vote Tuesday in midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress and how much room President Donald Trump has for the rest of his term. Turnout is expected to be historic.
The November 3 elections will determine whether Trump keeps Republican backing in Congress or Democrats gain the power to block legislation and investigate his administration. The vote falls roughly halfway through his second term.
What is on the ballot
All 435 House seats, 35 of the 100 Senate seats and 36 governorships are up for election. Reports put the number of eligible voters at about 210 million. More than 53 million Americans have already voted in person or by mail. Republicans hold a 53–47 majority in the Senate and a narrow edge in the House.
Surveys show Democrats leading nationally, with about 52 percent support against 45 percent for Republicans. Campaign spending has reached an estimated $11.6 billion. Voters’ main concerns are the cost of living, the war in Iran and immigration policy.
Final push
Republicans stepped up their last-minute campaigning on Sunday to head off a large Democratic win, while Democrats pressed to take Congress and impose the first major political check on Trump’s expanded powers. Trump has acknowledged what is at stake. He has told Republican lawmakers that if the party loses the midterms, Democrats will find a reason to impeach him.
White House prepares for defeat
The White House has been privately preparing for Democrats to win at least one chamber, even as Republicans publicly project confidence. A spokesperson said Trump will use a mix of executive authority and work with Congress to blunt Democratic attacks.
Trump has also been open about his plan if Democrats win. He has threatened to veto every bill during a Democratic Congress, saying Democrats would then come to him to make a deal. The remarks have been described as his “Plan B” for a midterm loss. Overriding his vetoes would be nearly impossible without large-scale Republican defections, because it takes a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
What a Democratic win would mean
A Democratic House could chair committees, issue subpoenas and hold hearings on the administration’s decisions, while Trump keeps his veto, executive powers and wide authority over immigration and foreign policy. A Democratic Senate could also block his judicial and Cabinet nominees and hold an impeachment trial if the House voted to impeach.
Analysts caution that the president would not be powerless. Even if the House impeached him, Democrats would still lack the Senate votes to convict. Trump could also keep issuing executive orders, granting pardons, conducting diplomacy and commanding military operations. Polls close on Tuesday, and results are expected to start coming in that night.