The midterm elections in the United States on November 3 could have a major impact on the rest of Donald Trump's presidency.
On Tuesday, Americans will elect members of Congress, which is made up of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Elections are held every two years, and when they take place in the middle of the president's four-year term they are called midterm elections.
A fundamental task of Congress is to create and pass laws that apply throughout the country.
The outcome of the midterm elections will decide which political party - Trump's Republicans or opposition Democrats - will control Congress and how easily the president will be able to carry out his plans over the next two years.
The results are also seen as an indicator of how satisfied Americans are with Trump's performance so far.
1. Who will be chosen?
The 435 members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress, who serve fixed two-year terms, are re-elected. The House is usually the place where bills are introduced and debated.
35 of the 100 seats in the Senate, the upper house, are also renewed. Senators serve six-year terms. Among other functions, they approve or block the bills they receive from the House of Representatives.
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That same day, voters across much of the United States will also elect their state representatives. The gubernatorial elections in California, Florida, Georgia and Michigan will be some of the most closely watched.
2. What are the key themes?
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The American economy worries many voters who are faced with the problem of high prices for fuel, food, housing and health care.
Inflation remains above the target level set by the US Federal Reserve, in part due to the war that the US and Israel started with Iran in February.
Democrats argue that the tariffs imposed by Trump have also caused prices to rise for Americans.
Immigration is another key issue. Republicans say Trump fulfilled a major campaign promise in 2024 by beefing up border security and launching a tough, and often controversial, immigration policy.
In recent weeks, concern about artificial intelligence has grown more acute. High-ranking politicians from both parties agreed on the need to regulate it, positioning themselves against Trump, who rejects the idea of laws to control the development of this technology.
3. What is at stake?
Congress is one of the three branches of government, along with the presidency and the judiciary. Its control is essential for the elaboration of laws.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are currently in the hands of the Republican Party. However, most of them are very tight. They have 218 seats in the House, the minimum number necessary to control it, plus one independent who votes with them.
In the Senate, Republicans have 53 seats. The upper house will only change hands if the Democrats achieve 51, which would exceed the tie-breaking vote of the vice president - currently Republican - if both parties obtain 50.
If opposition Democrats regain control of at least one of the chambers, they will gain the power to present their own laws to the plenary session.
4. Who could win?
In the past, voters have tended to "punish" the president's party and vote against him.
Recent polls show a low approval rating for the president. He began his second term with an approval rating of just over 50%, according to the polling website Silver Bulletin, but by early October this stood at around 37%. Meanwhile, 61% disapproved.
But not all seats up for grabs are competitive. Some are a sure win for Republicans or Democrats.
BBC US partner CBS News identifies ten Senate races to watch, in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, and 42 House races, in states like Arizona and Ohio.
The vote is more unpredictable this year because of the dispute between the two parties over how electoral districts are drawn in the House of Representatives.
Republicans attempted to gain an advantage by creating more favorable electoral maps in certain states, and Democrats did the same.
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5. What does this mean for Trump?
If Democrats win the House or the Senate (or both), Trump will have a hard time getting any legislation passed in Congress.
Therefore, his internal plans could be thwarted, although he has found ways to exert power without the support of his party.
Democratic control of either chamber would also mean they could use committees to investigate aspects of Trump's presidency. Allegations of corruption, the new White House ballroom and the tactics of the police responsible for implementing the tough immigration policy could come under scrutiny.
There is also debate within the Democratic Party over whether Trump should be impeached, which means bringing charges in Congress that would form the basis of an impeachment trial, not a criminal one.
If the Republican Party maintains control of Congress, Trump will be able to move forward with his plans for the rest of his term.
6. What does this mean for the 2028 elections?
The president's name does not appear on the ballot for the November 3 vote, although Trump has urged Republicans to pretend that they are voting for him as a show of support for his policies.
Whatever the results, commentators are likely to use them to argue about what voters think about the direction the country is taking under Trump's leadership.
Trump cannot run for president for a third time. Following the midterm elections, speculation will hopefully begin about who could be his successor as the Republican presidential candidate in 2028, and who could run against that person for the Democratic Party.
*Additional reporting by Deirdre Finnerty.
This article was originally written in English and we used an artificial intelligence tool to translate it. A BBC journalist reviewed the text before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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