What’s the Deal with Midterm Elections?

This year, midterm elections will be held nationwide on Tuesday, November 8th and it’s super important that you get to your local polling place (or fill out your mail-in ballot) to vote! 

A lot of young people don’t know much about the difference between midterm elections (which occur every two years) and presidential elections (which occur every four years). Voter turnout in midterm elections is usually lower than in general elections, but midterms are just as important! Many people don’t realize how much of an impact they can have on the government just by voting in the midterms. 

Sure, it may not seem as important because you’re not voting on the next president. But that’s where you’re wrong. Midterm elections determine who has power in congress. And unlike the presidential election, midterms are determined by popular vote. Your vote really does matter.

What are we voting on? 

Midterm elections determine who represents each state in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate and which political party has the majority in Congress for the following two years. Fifty-one seats are required for a political party to achieve a majority in the Senate, while 218 are needed to achieve a majority in the House. This year, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate are up for grabs.

Why should I care? 

As a U.S. citizen, it is your civic duty to vote on these issues. But if that responsibility doesn’t motivate you enough, it may urge you along to know that this is one of the only ways that you can help sway the decisions of the Supreme Court. 

As citizens, we don’t get the opportunity to elect supreme court justices. The President is the one who nominates the justices, and the Senate confirms them. These justices then will sit on the court for life. This is just how it is. 

However, Congress has the ability to override the Supreme Court. And the Senate has the ability to codify rights into law. So if you have been upset by any Supreme Court decisions in the past, you may want to pay close attention to who you vote for in the midterms. 

Here are some upcoming supreme court cases you may want to keep in mind: 

Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina: This court case argues that UNC uses race to give an unfair, significant preference to minority applicants (to the detriment of white and Asian-American applicants), and ignores more unbiased, race-neutral alternatives for achieving a diverse student body. This affects the issue of affirmative action. 

303 Creative LLC v. Elenis: The owner of a graphic design company wants to design wedding websites, however, she opposes same-sex marriage due to religious reasons. So, she does not want to design websites for same-sex weddings. She also wants to make it known on her company’s website that she will not be designing for same-sex weddings and why she chooses not to. But this is illegal, according to The Colorado Anti Discrimination Act (CADA), which prohibits businesses that are open to the public from discriminating against customers based on many things, including sexual orientation. This court case unpacks the question of whether the CADA violates the constitutional right to free speech as outlined in the First Amendment. 

Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency: This case deals with the Sacketts, who bought a plot of land near a lake in Idaho. They filled it with gravel and sand in order to prepare it for housing construction. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asked the Sackett’s to restore the land back to its original state, arguing that the lot contained wetlands regulated by the EPA under the Clean Water Act. The Sacketts argue that the EPA has no right to make decisions regarding their property. 

Also, historically, in midterm elections, the political party that currently holds the presidency loses seats in Congress. This means that if Republicans win a majority of seats in the House and/or the Senate, it will likely affect the success of President Biden’s policy goals. These goals include, for example, raising federal minimum wage, reforming the U.S. criminal justice system and combating the effects of climate change. If any of those sound good to you, then you may find it beneficial to vote in this election. 

Ok, I get it. So now what? 

To vote in this upcoming election, make sure you are registered. You can confirm your voter status by clicking on this link. 

Next, unless voting by mail-in, make sure you know where your polling place is located. Then head out, and do what you have to do.