On Nov. 3, midterm elections will be held across the country. During midterm elections Americans vote for those who will represent them in Congress, as well as elect state and local level legislative officials. Midterm elections are important because citizens can elect officials who will decide the country’s legislative priorities. Members of Congress are spokespeople for citizens and reflect the concerns of the people they represent to the federal government.
Brooklyn Green, a junior at Millersville University and a fellow for the Center for Civic Engagement, believes it is important to vote in the midterm elections because of their impact on influencing what issues are talked about in the federal government. “Midterm elections in general are quite important as seats in Congress are up for re-election and the representatives that are put into those seats determine what issues will actually end up receiving attention. Essentially, these representatives will shape important policy decisions for the next two years,” Green said.
The midterms also allow citizens to vote for officials who will serve in state and local level offices. These positions include governors, attorney generals, mayors, and school board members. The people elected into these positions will affect the day to day lives of Americans. “A lot more state, local, or county issues are on the midterm ballot and it impacts people’s lives much more quickly and much more directly. Congressional is important, but there are other issues on there that decide how your community or your state is going to go,” explained Dr. Laura Granruth, the director of the Center for Civic Engagement.
The midterms also serve as a way for voters to express their feelings about the current president and administration. If the president is well-liked, then usually voters will elect officials of the same political party. However, if citizens are frustrated with the current administration they tend to elect officials of the opposite party, which could make it difficult for the president to continue with their agenda.
This year there has been a lot of discourse online about the upcoming midterm elections. Many citizens are dissatisfied with the Trump administration, and there has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not Democrats will take control of both the House of Representative and the Senate. Currently, both chambers of Congress are controlled by the Republican Party.
“If both of them change hands then I think you are going to get more conversations around how does a republican president work with a democratic congress, but if it’s just the House the I think you’re going to get a lot more gridlock like you always do when you have different parties in control of congress” said Dr. Nivedita Bagchi, professor for the Department of Government, Law, and International Relations. However, Bagchi believes that the Senate is much less likely to flip than the House of Representatives based on the margin of error in recent polls. She explains that even the tiniest flip in voting could keep the Senate in the hands of Republicans.
Although the midterm elections are important, fewer Americans vote in them compared to presidential elections. Fewer than 50% of eligible voters vote in midterm elections. Younger adults, ages 18-24, are less likely to vote in elections, and in past midterm elections less than 30% voted. Samantha Bare, the graduate assistant for the Center for Civic Engagement believes that all young adults should vote in elections not only to have their voices heard, but also for the future of their country. “I’m thinking especially from the college students’ perspective, this is becoming more and more your world all the time. It’s incredibly important to care about the trajectory of that world and what you want it to be like. I just think that the only way to progress is for everyone to care about it and have an emotional, moral, and civic investment in what happens in the future,” Bare said.
As the midterms draw closer it is important to check voter registration status and polling locations. Vote411.org provides citizens with a quick and easy way to check their voter registration and create a plan to vote on Nov. 3. Additionally, the Center for Civic Engagement will provide Millersville students with rides to the polls. If students are interested they can stop by The Center for Civic Engagement in McComsey Hall, Room 236 or email them at CivicEngagement@millersville.
