Status: 08.11.2022 21:56
The USA is not the only one looking forward to the outcome of the midterm elections, which have been running since morning. The stakes are high for President Biden. His predecessor heated up the election day with rumors – and called for protests.
Former US President Donald Trump railed against alleged voting irregularities on the day of the midterm elections in the United States. In Detroit, voters at the polling station were told that they had already voted: “This is happening in large numbers, also elsewhere. Protest, protest, protest!” Trump wrote on the social media platform “Truth Social”, which he co-founded.
He did not provide any evidence for his claims. Also, electronic voting machines would allegedly not work in conservative districts of the embattled state of Arizona. In a steady stream of posts, Trump continued to spread allegations of alleged midterm election fraud with no evidence, including, “Is the same thing happening to election fraud as in 2020???”
To this day, 76-year-old Trump refuses to admit his defeat in the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden and continues to spread claims that massive voter fraud robbed him of a victory.
Outcome of US mid-terns decides majorities in Congress and Senate
Jan Koch, ARD Washington, daily news at 3:00 p.m., November 8th, 2022
Tight races expected
The outcome of the midterm elections is being eagerly awaited around the world. Because they can decide on the future power structure in the US Congress. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for election. The governors of 36 of the 50 states and other representatives at the state level are also elected.
The congressional elections in the middle of the four-year term of office of the US president (“midterms”) are traditionally considered a vote on his policies. They will determine how much political space incumbent Biden has over the next two years.
Many Senate races in the states of Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Georgia, among others, are extremely close. According to some experts, the outcome of the elections could only be known after several days or even weeks. 45 million people cast their votes before election day – according to surveys, there were around 39 million early voters in 2018. Citizens can vote by mail or in person.
Democrats are at risk of losing their majority
Amid high inflation and fears of a recession, many voters are unhappy with the Biden administration. Its Democrats are threatened with losing their majority in both chambers of Congress. According to polls, former President Trump’s opposition Republicans are likely to gain control of the House of Representatives. They also have a good chance of gaining a majority in the Senate.
Without a majority in both chambers, a president can only make little lasting change in domestic politics. In addition, he and his government are threatened with various parliamentary investigations and possible impeachment proceedings. Should the Senate also fall to the Republicans, Biden would no longer get any personal details at the federal level that have to be confirmed in the chamber. This also applies to the important filling of federal judge posts.
Trump’s influence at different levels
Shortly after the election, it is also expected that Trump could announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. At the end of the campaign on Monday, he said he would make a “very big announcement” in the coming week. The Republican’s continued influence is reflected in the election at various levels. He aggressively supported various party colleagues during the election campaign, including candidates who shared his unsubstantiated claims about the “stolen” 2020 election and, following Trump’s example, refused to promise in advance that they would recognize an election result even in the event of a defeat.
Trump loyalists sometimes apply for offices that are particularly important in the US electoral system: governors or – previously hardly noticed – “secretaries of state”, which are involved in the certification of election results. Should many of “his” candidates prevail, Trump could use this momentum for a new presidential bid.
One of his biggest competitors within the party is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. When asked by a reporter, Trump said he voted for DeSantis at a polling station in Palm Beach near his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Biden wants to stick to climate policy
Although it is not a presidential election, the midterms could also have consequences beyond the borders of the USA. The Republicans in the House of Representatives have threatened to slow down or even block large-scale US aid to Ukraine if they win the Chamber of Congress. That would have the potential to sway the course of the war in Russia’s favour. However, observers suspect that the threat is more of an attempt to build up pressure in order to wrest a concession from the Democrats elsewhere.
US climate commissioner John Kerry assured on election day that President Biden would stick to his climate policy regardless of the outcome of the election. Even if his Democrats lose their majority in both chambers of Congress, Biden is “more determined than ever” to continue his climate protection course, Kerry said at the UN climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh.
Start of the midterm elections: Many New Yorkers go to the ballot box with concern
Antje Passenheim, ARD New York, November 8, 2022 2:25 p.m