On Tuesday, November 6th, the Midterm Elections were held. People voted for their local leaders. They decided who will represent them in Congress. They made their voices heard. Here are the main questions answered by the 2018 Midterm Elections.
Who will control the Senate?
The Republican Party will keep control of the Senate. Republicans have won at least 51 out of 100 Senate places. Some races are still too close to call. Republicans expect to win even more Senate places.
Who will control the House of Representatives?
The Democratic Party will take a majority in the House of Representatives away from the Republicans. This means that the legislative branch [the part of the government that makes new laws] will be split between the Republicans and the Democrats.
Why Did Republicans Win in the Senate and Democrats Win in the House of Representatives?
In this election, Republicans were more popular in rural communities. Democrats were more popular in urban and suburban communities. Remember that in the Senate, each state has equal representation. So, states with large rural areas counted the same as states with many urban areas. In the House of Representatives, representation is based on population. So, because more people live in urban and suburban communities, they were able to vote for more places in the House of Representatives.
Who will win Governor’s races in states like Georgia and Florida?
The races for Governor were very close in many states. In Florida, Rick DeSantis beat Andrew Gillum by less than one percent of the vote. In Georgia, Brian Kemp is leading Stacey Abrams, but the election is still too close to call.
Will it be the highest turnout for a midterm election ever?
The total number of votes has not been counted yet. However, many states have reported that more people have voted in this Midterm Election than any Midterm Election in at least 20 years.
What Do You Think? Why do you think it is important to vote on our representatives?
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