In the final hour before midterms, anticipation for much-awaited poll results is almost tangible. There is a chance that the Senate or House majority could flip, and Democrats are doing everything possible to achieve this majority, while Republicans are fighting to maintain their lead. Midterms determine the positions of all 435 members of the House and one-third of the members
of the Senate. Theoretically, Congress could change to
have a majority of Democrats, shaking up the political
process and giving President Trump a more challenging
Congress. These are highstakes midterms, which is why
it is incredibly important for every person to express their civic responsibility by voting.
Regardless of your party affiliation, the most important
thing to do is vote. Whether it is cast by absentee ballot or in person, every single vote holds weight. For example, in my home state of Alabama, Doug Jones, a Democrat, won the special election for the U.S. Senate seat to replace Jeff Sessions. He won by a meager
two percent of the vote, so every single person who chose to vote for him made a difference.
Contrarily, every single person who chose not to vote or even wrote in another candidate helped Jones take the lead as well. Every vote matters, especially in times like the present when the nation seems to be politically split. The majority may be taken by a thin margin, which adds immense weight to each vote that is cast.
Millennials tend to think that our votes don’t matter. We aren’t the ones running the country, yet, so it seems that our participation is futile for the time being. However, we are the ones with the power to choose those running
the country, and this is an influential tool.
Our age group historically has the lowest voter turnout
rates, but it is time we beat this stereotype and show up at the polls. This election could change the country’s political progression from the past two years. It could alter the course of history and put a thorn in President Trump’s side, or it could bolster the current direction of the cabinet. Either way, we hold the power to determine who represents us. We must not shirk our civic responsibility and abuse this power by not using it.