Why Do Midterm Elections Even Exist? Here’s Why the Framers Scheduled Things This Way

Midterm elections in the United States, like the one this Tuesday, Nov. 6, have historically been known for lower voter turnout than presidential elections.

So why have them at all? Why not just hold Congressional elections on a four-year cycle, like Presidential elections, and benefit from the boost in attention that comes with the White House being up for grabs?

The reason goes deep. The cornerstone of the U.S.