This year, the United States will host the midterm election on Tuesday, November 6th. Although more people participate in the presidential elections, the midterm elections are just as important as the presidential elections.
In the midterm elections, the federal offices that are up for election are all 435 seats of the House of Representatives and a little less than half of the Senate. Governors are selected on a state level and mayors are selected on a municipal level.
Whether it is at the federal level or the municipal level, voicing your opinion by selecting a candidate that matches your ideals is crucial. Almost every college student is of age to exercise their right to vote but they are the group that always has the smallest turnout in participation when it comes to elections. However, we will be the generation that has to live with the decisions our elders make by voting.
To take responsibility of our future, let us voice our opinions this time! These are ways that you can contribute to the midterms:
1) Register to Vote
If you need to check if you are registered in your state or want to register to vote, you can either register at your local county’s website. If you are originally out of state and will not be present in your home state during the time of the midterms, you can apply for the Absentee Ballot form. This allows you to mail in your vote if you are not originally from Missouri or Kansas. A great resource is Vote.org. This website provides links to voter registration, the absentee ballot form, checking your registration status, finding the closest polling place based from your current location, and even has text reminders for the upcoming election and midterms.
2) Know Who is on the Ballot
After you have registered to vote, it is important to know who is on the ballot. Vote411.org allows you to view not only the federal candidates but also the state candidates as well. An aspect that makes this website very educational is that you are able to view biographies of each candidate, have direct access to their campaign website, and even has the ability to create a personal voting guide based on the candidates that you select on their page. By this way, you can be more informed.
3) Encourage Others to Vote
It is important that your friends are aware of the significance of the midterms. Try promoting reasons why they should vote and publicize local voting drives on social media. You can also convince your fellow friends to go to the polling booths with you.
Let us try to erase the negative connotations associated with college students not voting by making our voices count on November 6!