Historic American midterm elections that are textbook-worthy

The Nov. 8 midterm elections will determine if Republicans or Democrats have the majority in the next 118th Congress. Read on for a history of important midterm elections.

Overall, on Nov. 8, the midterm elections will put 35 Senate seats, 435 House seats, and 36 gubernatorial seats up for grabs. Since 1790, the United States has held the midterm elections at the midpoint within a president's four-year term in office on the first Tuesday of November. Historically, an incumbent president's political party has lost seats 13 times in the House and nine times in the Senate over the last six decades in 15 midterm elections.  The upcoming 2022 midterm will determine which party controls the 118th United States Congress. (Fox News) Republicans have an advantage headed into Nov. 8, leading Democrats in key Senate races. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Millions of voters around the country will vote on 35 Senate seats, 435 House Seats, and 36 gubernatorial offices. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

U.S. voter turnout is generally lower during the midterm elections when compared to the presidential races due to less awareness of the candidates and the election itself. According to Pew Research Center's senior writer Drew DeSilver, "Voter turnout regularly drops in midterm elections, and has done so since the 1840s." However, in the latest 2018 midterm, voter turnout reached unprecedented highs, which was followed by the record turnout of the 2020 presidential election.