Elections in the United States: What you need to know about the 2018 congressional elections

The United States looks forward to the mid-term elections, so-called "midterms" will be held on November 6. The election at Congress in Washington is at the center of attention. Do not vote on President Donald Trump – but the vote could also decide his future. Questions and Answers for the Election:

What is the US Congress?

The Congress is the United States Parliament and comprises two chambers: the House of Representatives with 435 deputies and the Senate with 100 seats. Each of the 50 US states sends MPs to the House of Representatives, whose numbers are measured by the size of each state's population.

Regardless of size, each state sends two representatives to the Senate. Both Houses of Congress are based at Capitol Hill, Washington.

Will the entire congress be re-elected?

No. All 435 deputies in the House of Representatives, whose term of office lasts only two years, have the right to vote. In addition, 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be allocated.

Senators are appointed for six years. Every two years, about a third of the 100 senators are newly elected.

When will the president be elected?

The presidential election is held every four years and will take place in 2020. Donald Trump was elected in November 2016 and wishes to run again in 2020.

The elections for this year's Congress take place in the middle of its first term and are therefore also called "mid-term elections" or "mid-term elections".

What is the distribution of powers in Congress before the mid-term elections?

Currently, Trump Republicans have a comfortable majority in the House of Representatives, with 235 seats out of 435.

In the Senate, they represent 51 of 100 senators, just over half. Opposition Democrats want to win the majority in both houses.

What are the chances of opposition?

Election badysts at FiveThirtyEight say opposition Democrats are likely to win a majority in the House of Representatives. But they see only a low probability that Democrats will succeed in the Senate.

How are convention elections traditionally?

During the congressional election in the middle of presidential elections, the ruling pact usually lacks a pamphlet.

Even Trump's Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, had the painful experience of the mid-term elections of four years ago: at that time, Republicans were not only the most powerful party to the House of Representatives, they had won a majority in the Senate.

Is Trump's popularity important?

Yes. Trump is polarizing, his opponents are mobilizing for the election. The president himself declared the mid-term vote of his policy. Trump's approval ratings, calculated by FiveThirtyEight – which includes several surveys – are only 42.4%.

It's less than the four previous presidents at the same time in their mandate. For example, just before the mid-term elections of 2014, Obama had a 46.6% approval rate.

How can Trump's election become dangerous?

If Democrats conquer the House of Representatives, they could launch numerous investigations against Trump. Already, several congressional committees – as well as the FBI's special investigator, Robert Mueller – are concerned about whether the Trump campaign team in 2016 collaborated secretly with Russia. There is no lack of other sensitive topics.

The findings could serve as a basis for impeachment, which can be decided by a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives. Democrats could also try to force Trump to disclose his tax returns.

What can an American president be removed from?

Under the United States Constitution, a president must be found guilty of treason, corruption or other serious crimes and misdemeanors in order to be removed from office. Trump warned in this case of a collapse of the markets.

Is it likely that Trump will lose his job?

Not for the moment. The House of Representatives may decide to indict and, in a way, indict the president. The procedure – which resembles a judicial process – is however conducted in the Senate, where a judgment also falls. In the end, at least 67 of the 100 senators must declare the president guilty.

Although the Democrats now had to conquer the Senate, such a two-thirds majority is not possible at present: there are only nine Republican Senate positions to choose from. Even in the very unlikely event that Democrats would all occupy their seats in the Senate and win all Republican seats, they would have a maximum of 58 seats.

In any case, they would need Republican senators to turn away from Trump. Currently, Trump's party is loyal to the president despite numerous scandals.

Can Trump be indifferent to such a procedure?

No. The process itself could be extremely unpleasant for Trump – and the outcome of an impeachment lawsuit could also depend on the results of investigations that the latter could lead in the light of the events.

The news site "Axios" reported at the end of August that Republicans had distributed a list of more than 100 official requests already submitted by Democrats – and that the existing Republican majority in the House of Representatives had largely been able to solve the problem. These questions should be back on the table as majorities change.

Have American presidents been removed from office in the past?

No. Three US presidents – Andrew Johnson (1868), Richard Nixon (1974) and Bill Clinton (1998 and 1999) – have begun impeachment proceedings. Johnson and Clinton were acquitted at the end. Nixon resigned before completing the process to preempt his dismissal.

What do the new majorities mean?

If the Democrats conquered the House of Representatives, they could block Republican initiatives because the laws had to be pbaded by Congress in both Houses. If the Democrats got a majority in the Senate, it would be even harder for Trump: this room is responsible for decisions on personnel.

If Trump appoints a minister, a federal judge or an ambbadador, it must be confirmed by the Senate. By occupying important positions, Trump would not pbad the Democrats. The congress also establishes the state budget that the president must govern.

When do we know how the election is over?

Significant results are expected early Wednesday morning, Central European Time (CET). If the result is close to the Senate, it could be delayed. At around 3:15 am in the 2014 congressional elections, it was clear that anyone with a majority in the House of Representatives in the House of Representatives, around 5:30 am, the name of the winner of the Senate was clear.

The election is not over yet, as the United States spans several time zones: in Hawaii, polling stations close only Wednesday at 6:00 am, Paris time. On the east coast, the first polling stations are open on Tuesdays at 12:00 CET.

What is chosen outside of the congress?

36 of the 50 states elect their governors. In addition, several local offices are badigned, for example in state parliaments or in courts. Local initiatives are also the subject of a vote, including the legalization of marijuana in some states.

In Florida, people are also voting on the repeal of a rule that convicted criminals can not vote again after serving their sentence. According to a report by the broadcaster NPR, nearly 1.5 million people in Florida are not allowed to vote, more than 10% of the adult population.

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