US Midterms 2022: when are midterms? What do polls say about Democrats and Republicans?

The midterm election in America are due to begin next month - with the Democrats and Republicans hoping to strengthen their position.

President Joe Biden will be hoping to capitalise on his party’s increasingly popular opposition to the overturning of Roe v Wade. The Democratic leader is hoping to codify the legislation to stop more than 20 states criminalising abortions.

The midterms can be an illuminating look into how the American public currently approves of the President’s job so far. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming elections.

What are midterm elections?

Midterm elections are held at around the halfway point of the US President’s term in office. Therefore, they take place two years into the presidency.

A host of seats are up for grabs in the midterms. This includes 435 seats in the US House of Representitives, as well as around 30 Senate seats. The US House of Representitives is the lower chamber of the US government, while the Senate is the upper chamber.

In addition to this, 36 of the 50 US states also vote for a new governor during this time. 34 of these states hold their governor election every four years, while Vermont and New Hampshire vote every two years.

The results of the midterm elections have no impact on whether the President is replaced - they would serve the full four-year term before facing the presidential election.

However, it can signifcantly skewer the houses to the side of the opposition. This means that the President’s job may be much more difficult in attempting to legislate their party’s policies.

When are the midterm elections?

Midterm elections are always traditionally held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. For example, if 1 November falls on a Tuesday, the elections would take place on 8 November.

The 2022 elections are due to take place on Tuesday 8 November. Early voting has also been taking place, with voters able to cast their vote before this day.

Results will drip in state-by-state, beginning from around 12am on November 9 (UK time). We should expect the majority of results confirmed by 11pm the same day.

What are the polls saying about the Democrats and Republicans?

US President Joe Biden has already served almost two years in office. His term has seen monumetal decisions made, including the repeal of Roe v Wade.

The move saw the possibility of abortion being outlawed in more than 20 states. Biden has campaigned heavily on his intent to codify Roe v Wade. However the remaining support for Republicans, who backed the repeal, has made the midterms a tight race.

According to opinion poll site FiveThirtyEight, the race is too close to call in the Senate, with the poll leaning slightly towards a Republican win. The Senate has 100 seats; if this is evenly split in the results, control will go to the party which holds the vice presidency which means Democrats would control the Senate.

However, it also predicts that the Republicans are “favoured” to win the House of Representitives. The Republicans have a 75% chance of winning the House, compared to the Democrats’ odds of 25%.