Your complete guide to the Midterm election drama

If you think there have been more elections in 2022 than Real Housewives franchises, you'd be right.

If you think there have been more elections in 2022 than Real Housewives franchises, you'd be right.

We have to park Mariah Season  because there's an election festival being staged. 

The warm up acts included Brazil, which just elected a former President who was convicted of (and then cleared of) charges for money laundering, Italy which now has its first (right wing) female PM, and of course earlier this year Anthony Albanese and the ALP ended close to a decade of conservative federal rule in Australia.

Coming up Victoria will vote in a state election on November 26, while NSW will have its say on local politics in March next year.

But next week the US will witness the most highly anticipated midterm elections we've witnessed in quite some time.

This is the headliner.

They'll vote next week, but parties, potential pollies, and incumbents not only have to drum up financial support for campaigns (some tightly contested races have raised more than $100 million from donors) but also encourage people to "get out the vote".

Why are they important?

While the folk in the US aren't voting on a President, they are voting on which party they put in power.

This is a congressional election, not a presidential election. So Joe Biden is not contesting, but his blue Democrats are, and so too are the red Republicans.

Midterm elections happen in the middle of a US President’s four-year term.

Congress is made up of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and a third of Senate seats are up for grabs. The winners are determined by popular vote, so may the candidates with most votes win. 

Right now the Democrats hold a slim majority in the Senate only because Vice President Kamala Harris is a tie-breaker on votes.

What key issues are up for grabs?

Who wins control of Congress and who gains power in the states - in the Governor races also called gubernatorial elections - will also impact what other federally aligned policies are focused on besides abortion.

DIVE DEEPER: States no longer united on abortion rights

If Republicans get the numbers, expect immigration, religious rights and addressing violent crime to be a priority.

The Republicans are also anticipating they will also win control the House of Representatives. If so they have hinted they will shut down the January 6 committee that is investigating the insurgence on the Capitol by Donald Trump supporters. They also want to launch a hearing into Biden's son, Hunter, and his business ties to China.

Should the conservatives also win control of the Senate they will have the ability to slow down, or potentially veto, Biden’s picks for certain jobs, like who sits on the Supreme Court or who is appointed to government agencies. 

If the progressive Democrats get over the line expect the environment, healthcare, and gun-control to be high on the legislative agenda before the next presidential election in 2024.

The majority of pundits and commentators are saying the overall outcome will influence the playing field for that 2024 campaign, and especially the odds of Trump running again.

They are seen as a temperature check on how a POTUS is tracking. 

The 2022 Midterms are critical as the US economy is struggling. Inflation is sitting at about 8.2% (for reference Australia's inflation rate is tipped to peak at 8% before falling again) and voters around the country are concerned about a range of issues including crime, illegal immigration, abortion, the Covid response, climate change and cost of living.

What is being voted on at the Midterm elections?

• All 435 seats in the House of Representatives.
• Thirty-five seats in the 100-member Senate. This is made up of the standard 34 seats plus a special election to fill the seat of retiring Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma.
• New Governors in 36 states. 
• A bunch of city mayorships and local officials.

The ones to watch

About six states will be at the centre of the political universe next week.

The five electorates that Biden "flipped" from Republican to Democrat in 2020: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and - perennial bellweather state - Nevada .

These states all have multiple critical races - Governor and other local government polls - that will determine control of the Senate, the House and state governments. 

Key races

Celebrity endorsements

Celebrities and Hollywood have been doing their bit to drum up support for their favourites, even endorsing candidates. 

Selena Gomez did this,

Georgia voters: make sure to vote early if you can! https://t.co/62sC72E6D0 @staceyabrams pic.twitter.com/ScccuEgLb1

— Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) October 31, 2022

And Just Like This showed Carrie Bradshaw is now a Democrat.

Gwyneth Paltrow posted information about candidates in the Californian gubernatorial race, 

Brit Harry Styles teamed up with the non-partisan voter enrolment initiative HeadCount and signed up more than 50,000 new voters during the US leg of his Love On Tour shows. His involvement set a new record when more than 28,000 people registered in just one day.

Love On Tour. New York City VII. September, 2022. pic.twitter.com/TBpHfNEgKx

— Harry Styles. (@Harry_Styles) September 2, 2022