If you’re wondering why you should care about midterm elections, there are a few reasons why this is a crucial election cycle. First, midterm elections always draw fewer voters than presidential elections, which means that the results are often decided by a small percentage of people. For example, in the last midterm election, only 36% of eligible voters cast a ballot. In comparison, around 58% of eligible voters showed up to the polls in the 2016 presidential election. Secondly, midterms often have higher rates of voter suppression than presidential elections. Voter suppression is when certain groups are unfairly excluded from voting due to tactics such as misinformation, changing voting locations, and strict voter ID laws. It is especially rampant in midterm elections when there are fewer voters overall.
What’s at Stake?
Democracy is at stake here, especially in these midterms. Voting is crucial to ensuring that our democracy remains healthy and strong. There are many races and issues on the ballot in this midterm election cycle. Let’s take a look at a few issues that are particularly important:
Healthcare: Midterm elections will help decide the type of healthcare system that will be in place for years to come.
Climate Change: There are a number of critical elections related to climate change taking place during the midterm election cycle. Races for seats in the Senate and House of Representatives will help determine who will be in charge of making decisions about environmental policy. This is especially crucial as climate change bears down on us causing megastorms, fires, floods and other natural disasters.
Inflation, Social Security, Medicare, Immigration... all are critical issues. Who do you want making these decisions for you? The only counter there is for big, dark money is the voice of the collective. Do you see why this is such a critical midterm election?
Who Has the Power to Change Things?
It’s important to note that midterm elections don’t have the same weight as presidential elections. In fact, the people who win seats in the midterm elections will have significantly less power than the people who win seats during the presidential.. People who win seats in the Senate during midterm elections will serve for six years. Those who win seats in the House during midterm elections, on the other hand, will serve for two years. Thus, midterm elections are responsible for putting people in charge of key government bodies. The people who win seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate will help determine the future of key government policies.
What Can You Do?
During this crucial midterm election cycle, there are a number of things that you can do to help ensure that positive change happens. First and foremost, you should make sure that you are registered to vote. You can do this by visiting Vote.gov. You can also sign up to help get others to the polls during this election cycle. You can do this by visiting HeadCount.org. Ultimately, you have the power to help create positive change and impact the future. You have the power to ignite collective shifting and to help create a brighter future for everyone. You can do this by voting in midterm elections and by using your voice to make your opinions known. You can also utilize the strategies included in this article to help spark collective shifting and create a brighter future for us all.
3 Strategies to Ignite Collective Shifting
There are a variety of things that you can do to help ignite collective shifting. Let’s take a look at three strategies that can help spark collective shifting and create a brighter future for all of us.
- Participate in a Midterm Election Project - One way to help spark collective shifting is by participating in a midterm election project. A midterm election project is an event or project that helps get people involved in the midterm election cycle. You can host a midterm election project by organizing a voter registration drive, hosting a dialogue about issues, or creating an event designed to educate people about elections and voting.
- Vote with Purpose - Another way to help spark collective shifting is by voting with purpose. Voting with purpose means that you make sure to research the candidates running for office and their stances on the issues that are important to you. You also make sure to vote for the people who you think will be the most effective at governing. Voting with purpose is one of the best ways to help ensure that your voice is heard during the midterm election cycle.
- Join or Create a Collective Shift Movement - The third strategy to help spark collective shifting is by joining or creating a collective shift movement. A collective shift movement is a group of like-minded people who come together to focus on creating positive change. There are a variety of collective shift movements you can join, including movements focused on eliminating gun violence, protecting the environment, etc.
Conclusion
Because the past is never over, things that have happened don't just disappear; they continue to affect us in many ways. But even though the past cannot be changed, we can learn from it and choose how those experiences can inform us today as we collectively create future.
Your vote is your voice. Use it.