November 8
What are the midterm elections?
Every four years, the midterm elections occur; this year, in-person voting occurs on November 8. They are called the midterm elections because they occur halfway through a four-year presidential term. One-third of the Senate is up for election (34 seats) along with 435 seats in the House of Representatives. Currently, both the Senate and the House have a Democratic majority, but in this upcoming election, it is predicted that the Republicans will take control of the House and control of the Senate is also uncertain. It is more important than ever for voters to show up and vote for Democrats in order to protect reproductive rights, as seen in Kansas earlier in the year.
Why are the midterm elections so important?
Believe it or not, the midterms are extremely influential elections. Proposed legislation needs approval from both the Senate and House for it to become law. Therefore, Biden’s agenda will be inhibited if a Republican-controlled House of Representatives can block future legislation. In order to get a law passed, it must first get voted on by the House of Representatives and needs a majority of 218 of 435. Then the bill gets passed on to the Senate, where there must be a simple majority of 51 of 100. Currently, Democrats have the majority in the House with 220 seats and the majority in the Senate with the help of Vice President Harris, who casts a tie-breaking vote. However, this balance of legislators may change after the midterms.
What are the tightest races?
Some of the most crucial races are for Senate seats. There are four key states (Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona) that will matter significantly for whether the Democrats will maintain control over the Senate. According to polls, it is predicted that the Democrats will lose the majority in the Senate, so these tight races are extremely important. Right now the four Democratic candidates–Raphael Warnock (GA), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), John Fetterman (PA), and Mark Kelly (AZ)–have slight edges over their Republican opponents, but nonetheless, there is still a lot of ambiguity on what the results will entail.
Who will support reproductive rights?
The NARAL has compiled a list of candidates for both the Senate and the House who will expand and provide reproductive rights. For candidates within your state, you can donate to their campaigns or read more about their political agendas here.
How to make sure you're voting for someone who aligns with your beliefs:
Ballotready is an amazing resource which provides a short summary of most politicians' opinions. The website takes you through fake ballots and gives the candidates and their stances on major issues such as the economy, reproductive rights, civil rights, and immigration. BallotReady also features the candidates' sponsors and their work experience. Another great resource is votelikeabeast.com. This website helps organize the nitty-gritty details of each congressional candidate and connects to isidewith.com, where you can take a quiz to understand where your values lie on the political spectrum. Check out those great resources for an understanding on who you should vote for, and don’t forget to head to the polls on November 8!
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/midterm-elections-basics-explained.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/us/politics/democrats-republicans-senate-election-polls.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/nine-us-house-races-watch-midterm-election-2022-10-04/