(with Trump’s allegations of electoral fraud and calls for protests in paragraph 6)
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The United States is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the midterm elections, which will decide on the future power structure in Washington. At the “midterms” in the middle of President Joe Biden’s four-year term in office, a majority vote in Congress was held on Tuesday. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate were up for election. Numerous governorships and other important offices in the states were also decided. The first polling stations were scheduled to close at 6 p.m. local time (midnight CET).
Biden’s Democrats are at risk of losing their majority in Congress, which would severely limit the president’s political leeway. According to polls, the Republicans have a good chance of taking over the majority in the House of Representatives. Head-to-head races for several seats were expected in the Senate, which is currently tightly controlled by the Democrats. If the Republicans take control of Congress, the second half of Biden’s term in office is likely to be characterized by deadlock, the inability to reform, and partisan struggles.
Biden called on voters to vote on Tuesday. Starting with states like Vermont, Connecticut and New York in the east of the country, polling stations across the country gradually opened up. The USA spans several time zones. The last polling stations in the far west should close on German Wednesday morning. By then, the first meaningful results were expected.
Many people had already used the opportunity to vote by post or in person before the actual election day. Due to a few tight races, the outcome of the elections could, according to some experts, only be known after several days or even weeks.
It was the first national vote in the US since the 2020 presidential election – which was followed by chaos. The incumbent at the time donald trump refused to admit defeat at the time. The Republican’s continued influence is reflected in the “midterms” elections at various levels.
On the eve of Election Day, Trump hinted that he could announce a new candidacy for president in the 2024 election year next week. Trump announced a “very big announcement” at an appearance in Ohio on November 15. On Tuesday he again spread unproven allegations of alleged irregularities in voting on the social media platform “Truth Social”, which he co-founded – and called for protests.
The stakes in this year’s midterm elections were high – for Biden, for Trump, for the US and beyond:
For Biden
The outcome of the election will determine how uncomfortable the next two years will be for the president – and whether he can ultimately apply for another term. If the Republicans win one or both chambers of Congress, Biden will no longer be able to push through any major legislative initiatives after January. In addition, he and his government are threatened with parliamentary investigations and impeachment proceedings. Without a majority in the Senate, Biden would no longer be able to get through any personal details at the federal level that have to be confirmed in the chamber. This also applies to the important filling of federal judge posts.
For Trump
The Republican had a hand in the “midterms” on many levels. Trump aggressively supported various party colleagues during the election campaign – including those who share his unsubstantiated claims of the “stolen” 2020 election and, following Trump’s example, refused to promise in advance that they would recognize an election result even in the event of a defeat. Biden warned of “chaos” and spoke of a danger to democracy. Some of those who were loyal to Trump applied for offices that are particularly important in the US electoral system: governors or secretaries of state, which were previously neglected and involved in the certification of election results. If many of his candidates prevail, Trump could use the momentum for a new presidential bid.
For the United States
The United States has never really calmed down since the turbulent 2020 presidential election and the violent attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters. Biden’s hopes of reuniting the country after taking office were dashed. The political atmosphere is extremely tense. Shortly before the election, a brutal attack on the husband of top Democrat Nancy Pelosi increased fears of politically motivated violence. The political camps are more irreconcilable and sometimes hostile than ever and have fundamentally different plans in various policy areas – for example in relation to migration, social security systems or abortion rights.
International
The “midterms” could also have consequences beyond the borders of the USA. The Republicans in the House of Representatives have threatened to slow down or even block the massive US aid to Ukraine if they win the Chamber of Congress. That would have the potential to sway the course of the war in Russia’s favour. However, observers suspect that the threat is more of an attempt to build up pressure in order to wrest a concession from the Democrats elsewhere. Overall, it is also important how the elections and the counting are carried out. Should there be similar turbulence as in the 2020 presidential election, this would further scratch the image of American democracy./lkl/DP/he