All ages, genders, races, sexualities and political views deserve recognition in our midterms, which is why it is essential to vote in the 2022 midterm elections. 

Think back to the last few presidential elections: many United States citizens would think either side of the political spectrum was not satisfied with the results. That’s where midterm elections come into play. 

IMPORTANT CAUSES

Voters need to understand the issues representatives control, which affect communities across the country. At stake in the midterm elections, which may be what’s driving high voter turnout, is which party will hold a majority in the U.S. House and Senate. 

If the Democratic Party manages to keep all the seats that are up for grabs, they can hold the majority. If the Republican Party gains one seat in the Senate or five in the House, any laws the Democratic Party tries to pass could be halted due to the parties’ differing political ideologies. 

The Republican Party is focusing its political efforts on immigration policy, crime and the cost of living. The party is also known for advocating on the country’s economic issues, like rising gas prices and inflation. 

If Republicans win control of congress, they can determine whether or not the Jan. 6 trials will continue. 

Republicans have even threatened to punish the committee for investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, including their own party members: Rep. Liz Cheney, R-WY and Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Rockford. 

“When we win back the majority next year, we have a duty as Republicans to hold every member of this committee accountable for this abuse of power, for stepping over the line, by preventing them from being in positions of authority,” said Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind, in a Fox News interview.

Stopping the Jan. 6 trial is dangerous because it sets the precedent that anyone can threaten an election by storming the Capitol. 

They also have threatened to look into President Joe Biden’s presidential term and see if he has corrupted the office with the laws he has pushed to pass. Republicans also want further investigation into Biden’s son Hunter regarding his tax crimes and a false statement regarding his gun ownership. 

On the other side of the aisle, the Democratic Party is concentrating on reproductive rights, climate change solutions, gun control and a government-run healthcare system. Democrats are also looking to codify abortion rights and same-sex marriage into federal law. 

Among the 908 registered voters polled by The Washington Post-ABC News, the economy and abortion are the pressing issues that have impacted their life. Education and schooling issues were also brought up, with 59% of the voters believing this to be important.

If you don’t take midterms seriously, the issues that are important may not be. 

TURNOUT 

Turnout is the most important aspect. If you are eligible to vote, you should exercise your right to do so. 

In the 2018 midterm elections, the largest number of voters cast their ballot in a midterm election in over 100 years, according to Pew Research Center. Rock the Vote also found that although youth turnout was lower in the 2018 midterms compared to the 2016 presidential election, young voters in the 2018 midterms had doubled compared to the 2014 midterm turnout.  

A high turnout allows politicians to realize they have more people they need to broadcast their views upon. Having high voter turnouts shows community members that we care about the safety of one another and our country. 

AGE GROUPS

50% of voters 65 years and older have generally given some thought about the midterm elections and its broader implications, whereas only 20% of voters under age 30 have, according to Pew Research Center. The younger generation, from 18 to 41 years old, also showed up in the 2018 elections, out-voting the boomer generation and older. 

Young voters should participate in midterms so that all generations are being equally engaged. If one age group opts out of voting, then they won’t be considered regarding laws that may affect them. For example, if the elderly don’t vote, programs like Medicare might not be protected due to opposing politicians.  

RACE

51% of Black voters are more motivated to vote this year due to a desire to keep Republicans out of office and for change, according to a survey conducted in 2022 by theGrio/KFF.

Black voters are mostly concerned with election integrity with voter suppression in their respective states. Key findings in the survey showed that 46% had to wait in line to vote for longer periods than their peers. They also found that 20% of Black voters have had their registration questioned or weren’t apparently registered to vote, their mail-in ballot was rejected or never received and were told they don’t have the correct identification. 

The majority of Black Americans believe that U.S. institutions and laws need to be completely rebuilt due to bias, according to Pew Research Center.

“Nearly eight-in-ten Black adults say a lot more needs to be done to ensure equal rights for Americans of all racial and ethnic backgrounds,” Pew Research Center reported. “Smaller majorities of Hispanic (59%) and Asian American (56%) adults say a lot more needs to be done to achieve racial equality; just 30% of Hispanics and 24% of Asian Americans say laws and institutions are fundamentally biased and need to be completely rebuilt.”

The U.S. has a bad history in regard to creating racial equality, but elections like midterms could help pave a better path for equality in the future. 

GENDER/SEXUALITY

Reproductive rights took a hit this past summer with the overturn of Roe v. Wade showing Republican-leaning states taking abortion restrictions to an even higher level. 

Many states fought to keep abortion rights for their community and Illinois is continuing to do so. Currently, many states are struggling to hold on to abortion rights, making Illinois a refuge for out-of-state patients seeking medical procedures. When 2023 rolls around, Illinois Planned Parenthood will have a mobile clinic going to the borders of states that don’t provide those rights to women. 

Since 1848, women have been fighting for their rights to vote, to be compensated fairly and to be treated equally. The overturn might be a fork in the road, but seeing what women have done in the past for their rights, the fight for women’s rights appears to be one that will be fought regardless of how hazards come their way.

For LGTBQ+ rights, the Parental Rights in Education (“Don’t Say Gay”) bill was enacted in Florida to prevent kindergarten to third-grade teachers and students from talking about gender orientation and sexuality in the classroom. Even more baffling, teachers can now legally “out” (disclosing a person’s sexuality without permission to others) their students to their guardians if the student openly talks about it by a teacher on school grounds in Florida. 

Schools and teachers are meant to be places for students to be comfortable with their sexuality. This past year was harmful to the LGTBQ+ community with over 290 anti-LGTBQ+ bills being introduced and 25 of them being signed into law across the country. 

WHY VOTE?

Midterm elections are important for the public to vote for who represents their issues best. If you want your issues to be solved, go vote. Your vote and your voice matter.