“We have an election problem”, writes the American site The Hill, as we vote on November 8 across the Atlantic. The system of primaries and the abundance of elective positions in the administration multiplied the ballots in the United States. “Over a four-year period, some Americans may be called to the polls in 20 to 40 different elections at the national, state, and local level.”
Midterms, instructions for use
On Tuesday, November 8, Americans are called to the polls to renew all the seats of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate in Washington, as well as for a multitude of local ballots, from the governors of certain states to the sheriffs , through the elected representatives of the local parliaments.
If in general the party of the incumbent president loses elected officials during this election, the Democrats could this year retain control of the Senate, where the latest projections from the site FiveThirtyEight give them neck and neck with the Republicans. On the other hand, these are largely favored for the House of Representatives, according to the polls, due in particular to a favorable electoral map.
Democrats currently have 223 of 435 seats in the House and 50 of 100 seats in the Senate, where the vote of Vice President Kamala Harris allows them to tip the scales. This was the case in August, during the adoption by the Senate of a vast law for the climate and health.
Courrier International
Even if several elections are often grouped together on the same day – Tuesday, in general –, “some regions of the country expect voters to vote four to five times a year”. What’s more, the system varies from state to state, with in Georgia the possibility of a second round – which means that the majority in the Senate may remain uncertain until December 6, notes the public radio. NPR.
Result, according to The Hill : extremely high abstention.
“Even in important congressional elections, barely half of those of voting age are going to the polls for the midterm polls in November – and far fewer still for the primaries.”
Enough to prejudice the elections, because “those who move often have their own priorities or interests to promote”.
A contested logic
This electoral profusion dates back to the “progressive era” of the years 1890 to 1920: “The reformers of the time believed that by subjecting more and more officials to electoral sanction, they would fight against the privileges associated with power and against outright corruption, and would hold public power to account.”
A logic that has always been contested, recalls the site. Reforms would be possible: abolish municipal and local elections which attract few voters; further concentrate the polls on the same dates. “Fewer important elections would strengthen democracy”, concludes the site of the capital.