Election day 2010, which is to be held on Tuesday, November 2, includes races in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives as well as many state and local elections. More than one-third of the 100 seats in the Senate, and all seats in the House, will be be contested.

Currently, the Democratic party holds a majority in Congress, with 256 members in the House of Representatives and 58 members in the Senate (vs. only 178 Republican representatives and 40 Republican senators). However, these numbers could shift significantly as many Republicans appear poised to take over the seats held by their Democratic adversaries.http://uspolitics.about.com/od/elections/tp/2010_congressional_election.htm

The state of the American economy during election time may have a major impact on the outcome of the 2010 elections, as many blame the Democrats for the high jobless rate and other economical issues. Although the economy has shown some signs of improvement, it is unclear whether things will be turned around sufficiently for Democrats to maintain control of Congress come November.http://politics.usnews.com/news/articles/2010/06/11/2010-elections-will-turn-on-jobs-the-economy.html

In November of 2010, 37 states will hold elections for governors. These gubernatorial races are to take place in California, Colorado, Florida, New York State and Ohio, among others. Primary races will continue throughout the summer to determine the Democratic and Republican candidates for each state.http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/2010_Elections/page?id=10476449

One major ballot measure, which has the potential to set a precedence for states across the country, is the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative. This measure would allow marijuana to be carried, cultivated and used by all persons over the age of 21 years, and would allow the state and local government to collect taxes on the substance. Currently, marijuana is only legal in California for medical patients, and it is not taxed. Marijuana would still remain illegal under federal law.http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2010)