Why We Should Participate in the Midterm Elections

MENIFEE, CA—Turn on any news channel, read any newspaper or search news on the internet and we find that the hottest political topics in America are likely to be: the economy/jobs, immigration reform, gun control, health care, partisanship/congressional obstruction, same-sex marriage, women’s rights/pay, voter ID laws, minimum wage and climate change in some order. And, as we sit on our couches watching, we typically get angry and frustrated with the inability of the elected politicians to address even a miniscule number of these issues. However, what we fail to realize is that we are as much at fault for the congressional inaction and the states far-right policies on many of these subjects.

We are very much at fault because many of us sat on the sidelines during critical midterm and local elections. We have to realize that the political system is more than a President and that everything drives up from the Mayors, local offices, State Representatives, Governors and Congressional Representatives.

Staying home on Election Day carries a heavy cost.

A perfect example of this is Ferguson, Missouri, where, according to “St. Louis County Election Results April 2014”, stlouisco.com, the voter turnout in the most recent city election was only 12 percent. With 88 percent nonparticipation the resulting City Council elected was totally unrepresentative of Ferguson’s population. On the national level, According to Catalist, a data analysis company, the groups with the biggest declines in turnout between 2008 and 2010 were voters younger than 30, down nearly 35 percentage points; black and Hispanic voters, down 27 points each; and single women, down 26 points. This precipitous drop at the 2010 midterm Congressional elections resulted in a Republican House dominated by the far right whose agenda was total obstruction thus thwarting any economic growth and equality. Is history about to repeat itself in the Senate in this year’s midterm? Unfortunately, the above was also happening in many statewide elections as many statehouses and governorships that control districting and voting regulations are also in the balance.

In Ohio, land of the Cornutes, and many other states Republicans have scrambled to reduce turnout with voter ID laws, cutbacks on early voting, insufficient polling places in dense urban areas and restrictions on registration. We should all want to get out and vote especially knowing that the Republicans so desperately want us to stay home.

This November the Republicans have their eyes set on taking control of the Senate and should they succeed along with controlling the House we could only imagine the level of obstruction, the roll back of social progress, the lack of jobs and a government brought to an utter standstill.

The 2014 U.S. Midterm election will be held on Tuesday, the 4th of November 2014. At stake will be a Total of 39 Gubernatorial Elections (15 Democrat Seats, 23 Republican Seats, 1 Independent Seat) – 31 Eligible Incumbents, 8 Open Races. Congressional elections (federal and states congress) will be held nationwide. A total of 35 U.S. Senate seats up for election in 2014. Of those seats, 21 are held by Democrats and 14 are held Republicans.

So, like Ferguson, we can complain and protest after the fact or we can proactively get involved in the process.

Will the Cornutes sit on the sidelines or make a difference?