Two-year House terms and six-year Senate terms: how the US midterms fill Congress

Background

The United States votes in its midterm elections on 3 November, halfway through the presidential term. Every one of the 435 voting seats in the House of Representatives is contested, because House members serve two-year terms; a party needs 218 seats for a majority. Senators serve six-year terms, so only about a third of the 100-member Senate faces voters at a time. This year 35 Senate seats are on the ballot: 33 regular races plus special elections in Florida and Ohio. Voters in 36 states also choose governors. If the Senate splits 50-50, the Vice President casts the deciding vote. The new Congress is sworn in on 3 January 2027.