Who decides the US midterms?

On November 3rd, U.S. voters will choose the Congress that writes their laws and controls spending. It will also shape what U.S. President Donald Trump can do during the last two years of his final term. But midterms usually draw far fewer voters than presidential elections. About half of all eligible Americans stay home. So who decides the U.S. midterms? All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are being contested this year. As are 35 of the Senate's 100. Right now, Republicans control both chambers. Win the House, and Democrats could block Republican bills. They could also investigate the Trump administration. Voters often use midterms to push back against the president. Since 1946, the president's party has gained House seats only twice. In 2018, during Trump's first term, Democrats gained an additional 41 seats and took the House. A party needs at least 218 seats for control. This time around, Democrats need a net gain of just three seats. A handful of battleground districts where either party could win may decide. In the Senate, Democrats need four more seats. In races this close, who actually turns up? Every four years, Americans elect a president. But two years later, fewer vote in midterms. That drop has held for decades. Yet 2018 and 2022 drew the biggest midterm turnouts since 1980. In 2018, turnout fell by only eight points when compared with the previous vote for president, the smallest drop in four decades. Age still splits the vote. In 2022, fewer than 30% of eligible Gen Zers voted. The over 65 crowd had the highest turnout. Just 9% of under 30s say the country is on the right track, yet only a third say they'll definitely vote. Before the last two midterms, it was 40%. When young voters stay home, it's the older Americans who get to choose Congress for everyone.