The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. As is often the case with midterms, pundits have speculated about whether or not this year's elections will amount to a wave election.
How many offices need to change party control, though, for an election to be a wave election?
According to our 2018 study, examining the results of 50 election cycles from 1918 to 2016, a wave election occurs when a party:
