By Haneen Bany-Mohammed & Lauren Nguyen, Staff Writers
The impending midterm elections on Nov. 6 will determine the representatives of American citizens in the House of Representatives for the next two years and in Congress for the next six years.
Voting is a privilege, a right and a civil duty that all American citizens older than 18 are entitled to and expected to uphold. The need for people to vote is particularly important around the time of the general elections when the next political leaders of our country are chosen, yet only 36.4 percent of eligible voters participated in the last midterm election four years ago, according to an article from PBS News Hour. With so many serious issues being disputed with every election, it’s appalling how many people don’t care to share their thoughts and at the very least, vote.
Midterm elections, also known as general elections, take place in the midpoint of a president’s four-year term and determine who the representatives will be that hold seats in Congress. This fall, new and returning candidates will vie for one of the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives or one of the 33 soon-to-be vacant seats of the Senate. That’s kind of a big deal! A member of Congress holds the ability to make decisions concerning laws and pressing matters of our country. The mid-term election will also determine which political party will hold the majority power in Congress until the next term. Voting is not only a privilege, you see, it’s an important responsibility to protect and use.
Even more alarming is the lack of poll attendance from young and eligible voters; approximately 1 out of 10 young people went out to the polls to vote for Representatives of the House in 2016, according to International Conference on Civic Education Research. As the next generation of adult citizens, students’ opinions are crucial; voting always is the first step to creating the future we want to live in.
Every bill that passes can drastically affect everyone whether by taxes or way of living. Whether a candidate is pressing for accessible health care, or affordable college tuition, those factors will come back and affect us in the end. It is our right to have a say in the things that are happening, as well as a duty to protest the things that need change. For example, more schools are being threatened by gun abuse and higher education is getting more expensive by the year. Candidates work hard to combat systemic injustices, and they can only do so if we work harder and vote consistently. If we restrain from voting, we are letting other people’s opinions have priorities over ours.
“Americans over 60 years old are 15 percent more likely to be registered to vote than those between 18 to 30,” according to Pyschologytoday.
Considering that seniors are out in the polls voting, it is no wonder candidates who cater to their needs are being chosen. They make up a large population of voters, so they are in control of who runs our government, resulting in which laws are being made. For example, taxes are cut for people that are rich, which is something that directly benefits older Americans who make a lot of money. Most young people aren’t focused on matters pertaining to tax cuts but on modern-day issues such as enforcing gun control and decreasing college tuition. If young citizens such as you and I don’t agree with certain policies these politicians are making and want to inspire change, we need to go out and vote for candidates who we feel best represent our needs! Only then can their voice be heard. Young citizens make up about half the amount of voter population, so imagine the impact and change that can come out if we all vote! So let’s go out and vote; maybe something good will happen.
This time around, Midterm Election Day will be held on Nov. 6 and polls will be open for many hours. To all the eligible voters out there, don’t waste your ballot; this is your chance. You can be as young as 16 to pre-register, and if you haven’t done so already, register here. Click here for more information on candidates running. Happy voting!
