Four weeks remain before the US midterm elections, in which voters will participate in a vote that could have a major impact on the rest of Donald Trump's presidency.
What are the midterm exams?
On November 3, Americans will choose the members of Congress, made up of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Elections are held every two years, and when they occur in the middle of the four-year presidential term, they are called midterm elections.
One of the essential tasks of Congress is to create and pass federal laws, that is, laws that apply nationwide.
The outcome of the midterm elections will determine which political party – Trump's Republicans or the opposition Democrats – will control Congress and how easily the president can implement his plans.
These results are also seen as a measure of how satisfied Americans are with the president's performance so far.
Who is elected?
The 435 members of the House of Representatives (the lower house of Congress) are elected. Their mandate is two years. It is generally in the House of Representatives that bills are presented and debated.
In addition, 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate, the upper house, will also be up for renewal. Senators are elected for a six-year term. Their mission is notably to approve or reject bills transmitted by the House of Representatives.
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On the same day, voters across much of the United States will also cast ballots for their state-level representatives. The gubernatorial elections in California, Florida, Georgia and Michigan will be among the most closely watched.
What are the key issues?
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The American economy is at the heart of the concerns of many voters who are struggling to cope with rising prices for fuel, food, housing and health care.
Inflation remains above the level targeted by the US Federal Reserve, in part because of the war the US and Israel launched against Iran in February.
Democrats say Trump's tariff program has also driven up prices for Americans.
Immigration is another crucial issue. Republicans say Trump fulfilled a major promise from his 2024 campaign by strengthening border controls and launching a widespread — and often controversial — crackdown on illegal immigration.
Concerns about AI have increased in recent weeks. Prominent politicians from both parties have agreed on the need to regulate it, opposing Trump, who has rejected the idea of laws aimed at controlling the development of this technology.
What are the issues?
Congress is one of the three branches of government, along with the presidency and the judiciary. Its control is essential for the development of laws.
The House of Representatives and the Senate are currently controlled by the Republican Party. However, its majority is fragile. In the House, he has 218 seats, the minimum required to control it, plus an independent who votes with him.
In the Senate, they hold 53 seats. The upper house will only change sides if the Democrats obtain 51 seats, which would allow them to decide the vote in the event of a tie (vote of the vice-president, currently Republican), if each camp obtains 50 seats.
If opposition Democrats regain control of at least one chamber, they will have the power to put their own laws up for a vote.
Who could win?
In the past, voters have tended to “punish” the president’s party by voting against it.
Recent polls indicate low approval ratings for the president. He began his second term with an approval rating of just over 50%, according to the polling analytics site Silver Bulletin, but by early October that had fallen to around 37%. At the same time, 61% of those surveyed disapproved of it.
But not all seats in each chamber are contested. Some are gains for Republicans or Democrats.
The BBC's US partner, CBS News, has identified ten Senate races to watch, in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, and 42 House races, in states like Arizona and Ohio.
Voting is more unpredictable this year due to a battle between the two parties over redistricting in the House of Representatives.
Republicans tried to gain an advantage by creating more favorable electoral maps in some states, and Democrats did the same.
Photo credit, Getty Images
What does this mean for Trump?
If Democrats win the House of Representatives or the Senate, Trump will have difficulty getting legislation through Congress.
His national plans could therefore be thwarted, even if he has found ways to exercise power without the support of his party as a whole.
Democratic control of either chamber would also allow them to use investigative committees to examine aspects of the Trump presidency. Corruption allegations, the new White House ballroom and ICE tactics could come under scrutiny.
There is also debate within the Democratic Party over whether to impeach Trump, which involves bringing charges before Congress that would form the basis for a political, not criminal, trial.
If the Republican Party maintains control of Congress, Trump will be able to continue his plans until the end of his term.
What consequences will this have for the 2028 election?
The president's name is not on the ballot in the midterm elections, although Trump has urged Republicans to pretend it is by voting for him, as an endorsement of his actions so far.
Whatever the outcome, commentators will likely use it to argue about how voters view the direction of the country under President Trump.
Trump cannot run for a third presidential term. After the midterm elections, we can expect speculation to be rife about his possible successor as Republican presidential candidate in 2028, and about his potential opponents among the Democrats.
Additional reporting by Deirdre Finnerty
We used AI to help translate this article, originally written in English. A BBC journalist checked the translation before publication. Learn more about how we use AI.
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