U.S. midterm election

Midterm elections are elections in the United States in which members of Congress, state legislatures, and some state governors are elected, but not the president.

On the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, elections are held for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 or 34 of the 100 members of the United States Senate. However, Presidential elections occur only every four years. Those elections for Congress that do not coincide with Presidential races are called midterm elections, because they occur about midway through a Presidential term. They occur in years that leave a remainder of two when divided by four.

Thirty-four of the 50 U.S. states elect their governors to four-year terms during midterm elections, while Vermont and New Hampshire elect governors to two-year terms in midterm and presidential elections. Thus, 36 governors are elected during midterm elections. States also elect officers to their state legislatures and county offices every two years, occurring with both mid-terms and presidential years.

The next midterm elections for the House, Senate, and governorships are scheduled for November 2, 2010.

Recent Midterm elections

Midterm elections usually don't turn out well for the party of the president; over the past 17 midterm elections, the president's party has lost an average 28 seats in the House, and an average 4 seats in the Senate.