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Midterm Elections 2006

 

Recent Webchat
Discussion of the upcoming 2006 Congressional Midterm Elections
Dr. Thomas Mann, 9:00 a.m. 1 November (EDT)

Outline of U.S. Government
The Legislative Branch: The Reach of Congress

What is Democracy?
Chapter on Elections

Every two years Americans elect members of the House of Representatives to two-year terms and about one-third of their Senators, who serve six-year terms. The House of Representatives and the Senate make up the U.S. Congress. Presidents are elected to four-year terms.

The elections in which Americans vote for their congressional representatives, but not for president, are known as midterm elections. They occur every four years. On November 7, 2006, Americans will elect members of the House of Representatives to two-year terms and about one-third of their senators to six-year terms. Thirty-six states also will elect governors in 2006.

Currently the Republican Party holds a small majority of seats in both houses of Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). Because Congress has the power to pass laws and controls federal funding authorizations, the outcome of the midterm elections could affect significantly U.S. policies and how they are carried out.

 

VOTING INFORMATION

 

Background Information

The Current Congress (109th) – party affiliations

 

 
House of Representatives
Senate
Republicans:
232
55
Democrats:
202
44
Independents:
1
1
Vacant Seats:
0
0
TOTAL:
435
100

Note: The Republican Party is associated with the color red, and the Democratic Party is associated with the color blue. For example, a “red state” is one that tends to vote Republican, and a “blue state” tends to vote Democratic.

Public Interest In Midterm Elections

Mid-term elections do not generally draw as much interest from voters as presidential elections do, but this year could be different.  The chart below shows the percentage of voter turnout during the past few elections:

 

Presidential Elections Mid-Term Elections
2004    55.3% 2002    37.0%
2000    51.3% 1998    36.4%
1996    49.1% 1994    38.8%
1992    55.1% 1990    36.5%

Source: Federal Election Commission, via Infoplease.com

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