Midterm elections 2018: what do the midterms decide?

Americans will head to the polls on November 6, but most states have already commenced early voting. The race has been tight, with polls showing the battle for Congress will not be easily

won by either Democrats or Republicans. The run-up to these elections has been marred by controversy and shocking events. The Brett Kavanaugh scandal, mail bombs, synagogue attack and Donald

Trump’s promise to end birthright citizenship have all affected the polls. RELATED ARTICLES WHAT DO THESE ELECTIONS DECIDE? The midterms decide who will represent your state in Congress.

Congress is the branch of the US government that makes laws, and is made up of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Midterms determine which party — Democratic or

Republican — will control each chamber of Congress for the next two years. Proposed legislation must pass in the House and the Senate for it to reach the president's desk, and whichever

party controls the chamber usually wins the legislative votes. These elections occur in the middle of a president’s four-year term, which is why they’re called ‘midterms’. The results are

decided by the popular vote, and don’t use the Electoral College, which is used in presidential elections. Midterm elections 2018: Whatever happens, the rest of Mr Trump’s tenure will be

massively impacted. (Image: Getty) Voters will choose one-third of senators and every member of the House of Representatives, which are made up of the following: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

Members of the House serve two-year terms. All 435 members get elected every midterm and presidential election year. The number of representatives a state has depends on its population.

Currently, Republicans dominate the House. If the Democrats want to flip the House of Representatives, they will need to take at least 23 seats from the Republicans. RELATED ARTICLES Midterm

elections 2018: The vote is on November 6 but most states have commenced early voting (Image: Getty) SENATE Senators serve six-year terms. One-third of senators get elected during each

midterm and each presidential election year. There are 100 US senators, two from each state. Of those 35 up for grabs, nine are currently Republican and 24 are Democrat. If Democrats want to

take the Senate, they will need to not only hold on to the ones they have, but gain two more. Midterm elections 2018: The run-up to these elections has been marred by controversy (Image:

Getty) WHAT ARE THE POLLS SHOWING? According to polling site FiveThirtyEight, it’s highly likely the House will go to the Democrats. Polls show they have a 6 in 7 chance, or 86.1 percent.

Republicans have a 1 in 7 chance of retaining control, or 13.9 percent. The Senate shows quite the opposite, with the Democrats having a 1 in 7, or 15.1 percent shot of flipping control.

Republicans, on the other hand, have a 6 in 7, or 84.9 percent chance of retaining control. Midterm elections 2018: An anti-Trump protest on Tuesday (Image: Getty) Whatever happens, the rest

of Mr Trump’s tenure will be massively impacted. If the Republicans retain control, it would be a huge boost for Donald Trump and ensure he can pass laws without much obstruction. If the

Democrats take back Congress, it could seriously hinder the amount of power the president has for the next two years. Even if the Democrats only take the House of Representatives, they could

block Mr Trump’s plans as he tries to put them forward. READ MORE ABOUT THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS 2018