Who decides the US midterms?

What the report says

Al Jazeera’s AJLabs examines a familiar feature of US midterm elections: turnout is typically much lower than in presidential races, with about half of eligible voters often sitting them out. The piece focuses on who participates and who does not, and how that shapes the outcome of midterm contests.

The report centers on the United States and was published on 3 November 2026. Rather than covering a single race or candidate, it highlights the broader electorate that determines control of Congress during midterms. That matters because the composition of the voting public can shift the political balance even when overall participation is modest.

The article’s core question is which groups are more likely to vote in midterm elections and which are more likely to abstain. In general, midterms tend to draw older, more politically engaged, and more regular voters than presidential elections, while younger and less frequent voters are less likely to show up. That pattern can give outsized influence to the segment of the electorate that does vote.

This context helps explain why midterms are closely watched despite their lower turnout. The result can influence legislative control and the direction of national policy, even when many eligible Americans do not cast a ballot.