What is one characteristic of midterm elections in the United States?

A. They have higher voter turnout than other democratic nations.

B. They have lower voter turnout than presidential elections.

C. They have higher voter turnout than presidential elections.

D. They have higher voter turnout than they did in the past.

The correct answer is B. One characteristic of midterm elections in the United States is that they have lower voter turnout than presidential elections.

Explanation:

Mid-term elections are elections held two years after each presidential election, that is, practically halfway through the term of the President of the United States. Mid-term elections are held every four years and, at the federal level, consist of the suffrage of all 435 seats with voting rights in the House of Representatives and 33 or 34 seats in the Senate.

36 states elect their governors in mid-term elections, 34 for a four-year term and two (Vermont and New Hampshire) for a two-year term. Elections are also held for various state legislatures, county offices, and often special elections, to fill, for example, vacant posts due to the resignation or death of a senator or state governor.

Generally, these elections arouse less interest in voters than presidential elections. On average, 4 out of 10 potential voters attend the mid-term elections, a number that rises to 6 out of 10 in presidential elections. This has a possible explanation on the lack of political definition offered by these elections: a new head of state is not defined, but only the congressional majorities, which in the eye of the majority of the population are not as decisive as the role of the president.

D. they have a higher voter turnout than they did in the past