The 2024 US election is not just about electing a president.

This year, in addition to choosing between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris to be the next US president, American voters also elect members of Congress .

Unlike the presidential election, which takes place every four years, the US congressional elections are held every two years. In each election, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the seats in the Senate are up for re-election.

In the current US Congress, the Democratic Party controls the Senate, with 51 senators (comprising 47 Democratic senators and 4 independent senators). In the House of Representatives, the Republican Party gained a majority after the 2022 election, currently holding 220 seats, while the Democratic Party holds 212 seats, with 3 seats currently vacant.

Voters in Georgia cast their ballots in the 2022 US midterm elections.

CNN reported on November 4th, citing statistics from the election analysis website Inside Elections , that in this year's House of Representatives race, the Democratic Party currently holds an advantage in 208 positions, while the Republican Party has 212. With the remaining 15 positions considered to be closely contested, the new House of Representatives is likely to have a majority, but the gap in the number of representatives will not be too large.

In the Senate, each elected senator serves a six-year term. Of the 34 seats up for re-election this year, Democrats are defending 20, while Republicans are defending 13. The pressure is arguably greater on the Democrats, as losing just two seats in the final results would give Republicans control of the Senate.

However, with the winning party unlikely to secure an overwhelming majority, observers are pointing to a key rule in the Senate: the "filibuster" procedure. This rule allows senators to extend debate indefinitely when drafting legislation.

To conclude the debate and move to the voting phase, 60 senators must agree, leading to a scenario where the opposition could use this to prolong and obstruct bills they disagree with. Once a bill reaches the voting stage, a majority of 51 votes is sufficient for it to pass. If the vote is 50-50, the Senate President, who is also the then Vice President, will hold the deciding vote.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cuoc-bau-cu-my-nam-2024-khong-chi-bau-tong-thong-185241104155418893.htm