2020 United States House of Representatives elections facts for kids
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All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives 218 seats needed for a majority |
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Results of the elections:
Democratic gain Republican gain Democratic hold Republican hold Result undetermined |
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On November 3, 2020, an election was held in the United States. People voted to choose all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives. Six non-voting delegates were also elected from places like Washington, D.C. and other U.S. territories. Before this election, the Democratic Party was in charge of the House. After the votes were counted, the Democrats won again, but with a slightly smaller majority.
Contents
What Are These Elections?
These elections are super important for how the United States is governed. The House of Representatives is one part of the U.S. Congress, which makes laws for the whole country. Every two years, all 435 seats in the House are up for election. This means that people in every part of the country get to choose who will represent them.
Why Do We Have Elections?
Elections are how citizens get to pick their leaders. In the House of Representatives, each member represents a specific area called a "congressional district." These representatives speak for the people in their district when new laws are being discussed. They also help their communities with problems related to the government.
Who Can Vote?
In the United States, citizens who are 18 years old or older can vote in these elections. Voting is a way for people to have their voices heard. It helps decide which political party will have more power in the House.
What is a Majority?
To control the House of Representatives, one political party needs to win a "majority" of the seats. This means they need to have more than half of the 435 seats. For the 2020 election, a party needed to win at least 218 seats to have a majority. If a party has a majority, it's easier for them to pass laws that they support.
Key Players in the House
The two main political parties in the United States are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These parties have different ideas about how the country should be run.
The Democratic Party
Before the 2020 election, the Democratic Party had 232 seats in the House. Their leader at the time was Nancy Pelosi. She was also the Speaker of the House, which is the top leader in the House. After the 2020 election, the Democrats won 222 seats. This was 10 fewer seats than they had before. However, it was still enough for them to keep their majority.
The Republican Party
The Republican Party had 197 seats before the 2020 election. Their leader was Kevin McCarthy. After the election, the Republican Party gained 15 seats, bringing their total to 212. Even with these gains, they did not win enough seats to take control of the House.
Other Parties
While the Democrats and Republicans are the largest parties, other smaller parties also run in these elections. For example, the Libertarian Party had one seat before the 2020 election but did not win any seats in 2020.
What Happened in the 2020 Election?
The 2020 House elections took place on November 3, 2020. People went to polling places or mailed in their ballots to choose their representatives.
Election Results
The final results showed that the Democratic Party kept control of the House. However, their majority became smaller. This meant they had fewer seats than before, making it a bit harder to pass laws without support from other parties. The Republican Party gained seats, showing that more people voted for their candidates.
Who Became Speaker?
Because the Democratic Party kept the majority, Nancy Pelosi remained the Speaker of the House after the 2020 election. The Speaker is a very powerful position. They lead the meetings in the House and help decide which laws are discussed and voted on.
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