Who Elects Congress?

Congress is the legislative branch of the American government, and the bicameral legislature of the government. The Congress consists of two components, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both divisions of Congress meet in the United States Capital Building, located in Washington, D.C.

The senators and the representatives are both elected directly. This means that congressmen and congresswomen are elected by the popular vote of their state, or of their district.

• In the House of Representatives, each representative serves a district. The candidate who wins the popular vote in his or her district is elected to Congress.
• In the Senate, each senator serves a state. Thus, the candidate who wins the popular vote in his or her state is then elected to the Senate.

Members in Congress

As of 2010, there are 535 members in all of Congress. The majority of these members are in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives has four 435 members and the Senate has 100 members.

Each of the members in the House serves two-year terms, while the members of the Senate serve six-year terms. The members of the Senate serve staggered terms. This means that every two years, approximately one third of the Senate is elected.

Congress and the Constitution

The difference in the amount of members within the Senate and within the House is the result of a compromise during the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

• The smaller states (for example, New Jersey and New Hampshire) wanted a legislature that had the same amount of members regardless of the state’s population.

• The larger states (for example, Virginia and New York) wanted a legislature in which the states with larger populations had a greater representation in the legislature.

Thus, the House of Representatives is apportioned based on states' populations. The states that have larger populations have more members in the House. For example, California currently has 53 representatives in the House, and New Mexico has three representatives.

In the Senate, each state has two senators. This is regardless of population. The House of Representatives satisfied the demands of the larger states, while the Senate satisfied the demands of the smaller states.

Composition of the Senate

As of 2011, the President of the Senate is Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States. In 2011, the President pro tempore is Daniel Inouye. Both Joe Biden and Robert Byrd are Democrats. In the House, the current Speaker of the House is John Boehner. John Boehner is a Republican. This means that in 2011, the Republican Party has the majority in the House but not in the Senate.

The last Senate election and the last election for the House of Representatives prior to 2010 was November 4, 2008. The Congress in 2011 is the 112th Congress, which began on January 3, 2009 and will last until January 3, 2013. The apportionment for the current seats in the House, is based on the United States Census from 2000.

Right to Vote

In the United States, the eligibility for voting is specified in the Constitution, but also regulated by the states. Currently, an individual cannot be denied the right to vote solely based on sex, race, color, income, or age if the individual is eighteen or older. Individuals also must be citizens to vote. These regulations are specified in the Constitution.

As long as certain states do not go against these requirements, states can make additional regulations. For example, in certain states, one is not allowed to vote if he or she is a convicted felon. In the majority of states, you also must be registered to vote. The exception to this rule is North Dakota. The specific qualifications for registration differ state by state, but in a number of states, individuals can actually register the same day as they vote.