Obama's election guide for kids miscounts number of Senate races

The Obama administration has released a kids' guide to the midterm elections that tells kids there are 33 Senate seats in play, instead of the 36 seats that are being contested next week.

"This year, there are 33 Senate seats up for grabs," the guide stated.

The 36 seats actually at stake next week will determine whether Republicans regain control of the Senate, or whether Democrats are able to keep control.

Of the 36, 15 seats are currently held by Republicans, and 21 are held by Democrats. If Republicans can pick up six seats, they'll win back control of the Senate.

Some analyses say up to four seats now held by Democrats are likely to turn Republican, which means the GOP will have to defend a few of its current seats in tossup states and win just two more to win the Senate.

But because some run-off elections are possible, the exact number of GOP and Democratic senators may not be known for a few weeks after the election.

Despite its claim that just 33 seats are at stake this year, the guide is otherwise a spot-on resource for children who want to brush up on the midterms before they happen next week.

"No, it's not the presidential election; that's in 2016," the guide stated.

It also makes clear that Congress operates under a majority rule system. "Whoever has more seats in Congress has more votes," it said.

And, it included a brief summary of what members of Congress do.

"They decide which bills become law and which don't," it said. "Decisions made by Congress affect important issues like the economy, finding jobs, and health care."

The guide was put out by "Kids.Gov," which bills itself as "a safe place to learn and play. The guide is a service of the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, which is "the nation's focal point for data, information and services offered by the federal government to citizens."

That office is housed under the General Services Administration oversees the government's acquisition and maintenance of goods, services and real estate.