Watch | All you need to know about the US midterm elections

A video explainer on the US midterm polls

In November 2020, Joe Biden was elected the 46th President of the US. After two years, the stage is all set for another nationwide election - the Midterm elections. 

As the name suggests, the midterm elections are placed right in the middle of a President’s term. That is, two years after the Presidential elections and two years before the next one. 

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 seats in the Senate will be contested. Moreover, states across the country will also elect their governors.

Unlike India, the US follows the two-party system that controls both houses of the US Congress. Similar to the Parliament of India, the US Congress has two houses - the Senate and the House of Representatives. Members of both houses have different term lengths and compositions. 

The House of Representatives, often referred to as the House, has 435 members who are elected every two years. While the Senate has 100 members, and each serves a six-year term. 

Since members of the House have a two-year term, all 435 seats will be contested during the elections. On the other hand, 1/3rd or 34 seats of the Senate will also be up for elections. 

Why are the midterm elections important? What is at stake for the ruling party?