midterm election，中文名是中期選舉，在總統四年任期中間(即接近第二年結束時)進行的國會參議院和眾議院選舉。
詳細說明,英文原文,
詳細說明
其結果經常被視為是對總統前兩年政績的全民公決。中期選舉改選參議院部份席位和眾議院全部席位，同時也改選州和地方政府的許多官員。
這個問題，要首先必須了解美國的國會選舉。國會選舉一般涉及的是一個選區的具體利益和所關心的問題，而不是全國性問題。所謂的"中期選舉"尤其是這樣。中期選舉是指在四年一次的總統大選之間進行的選舉，因此沒有在總統大選中必然出現的全國性議題。這個選舉是選美國國會會員.州內議員和一些州長，但不選總統。
英文原文
Midterm elections are elections in the United States in which members of Congress, state legislatures, and some state governors are elected, but not the president.On the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, elections are held for all 435 members of the United States House of Representatives and 33 or 34 of the 100 members of the United States Senate. However, Presidential elections occur only every four years. Those elections for Congress that do not coincide with Presidential races are called midterm elections, because they occur about midway through a Presidential term.Thirty-four of the 50 U.S. states elect their governors to four-year terms during midterm elections, while Vermont and New Hampshire elect governors to two-year terms in midterm and presidential elections. Thus, 36 governors are elected during midterm elections. States also elect officers to their state legislatures and county offices every two years, occurring with both mid-terms and presidential years.The next midterm elections for the House, Senate, and governorships are scheduled for November 2, 2010.
