Elections in the United States (USA) have several differences from the electoral process carried out in Brazil, from the way of voting – in the USA the electronic ballot box is used, but it is also possible to vote with a paper ballot and by mail – to the rules that define the new president of the Republic. Another important difference is the president's midterm elections, or midterms, held this week in the country.
Midterms are elections that change the composition of the US Congress at the end of the second year of the presidential term, that is, halfway through the term of office of the head of the national Executive. In these elections, all 435 seats in the Chamber of Representatives – the equivalent of the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil – are up for grabs. Furthermore, one third of the Senate is renewed.
In the Chamber, the term of office is two years. In other words, they are renewed both at the beginning of the presidential term, the so-called general elections, and in the midterms. The term of office of a senator in the United States is six years. There are 100 senators in total, with 34 or 35 seats renewed every two years. This year there are 35.
Because only a third of the Senate is renewed each time, not all 50 states elect new senators in the November 3 elections. This time, 15 states do not vote. They are: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
Why is it important?
The dispute over seats in Congress serves as a barometer of public opinion about the federal government. The more dissatisfied they are with the current president, the more citizens tend to reflect this at the polls, voting for politicians from the opposite party.
In the USA, two parties dominate politics, the Republicans and the Democrats. There are others, such as the Green and Libertarian Parties, but with little presence in Congress.
The current president of the United States, Donald Trump, is from the Republican Party. The victory of the Democratic Party, winning most of the seats in the Chamber and also in Congress, showed the wear and tear that the president has been suffering in front of his voters.
This wear and tear was already appearing in opinion polls. In recent months, the Trump administration's approval ratings did not exceed 30%. Disapproval, in turn, has been around 60%.
With Congress (House and Senate) with a majority from the opposing party until the end of the term, that is, for the next two years, Donald Trump will have difficulty approving projects authored by the Executive Branch. This could limit his management to more controversial issues, such as tariffs against other countries and the war against Iran.
The American president depends on Congress, among other things, to approve the budget; creation and amendment of laws; approval of names for the Supreme Court, the Presidential Office and the command of federal agencies, such as the FBI and the CIA.
Furthermore, Congress has the final say on sending money to militarily reinforce another country at war and on declaring war on another nation.
Governors
The population doesn't just choose new senators and deputies in the midterms. Of the 50 states, 36 elect new governors. Not all states have elections for governor because each state has its own electoral rules. The states of New Jersey and Virginia had their last elections for governor in 2025. The next choice will only be in 2029.
Because it has specific rules, each state also has a ballot with its own votes. Kansas voters, for example, voted for Representative, Senator, Governor, Kansas Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner.
In the state of Missouri, neighboring Kansas, voters only voted for state auditor, deputy and state representatives, the equivalent of a state deputy in Brazil.
