With the upcoming midterm elections on November 4, there has been an influx of advertisements pressuring American citizens to head to the polls and cast their vote.
Midterm elections are always important because they affect the political direction of the country. Representatives in the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms, so they always face reelection during the midterms. Senators are elected for six years, so they are only sometimes voted on during midterms. Some states will also have elections for state government positions such as governor, secretary of state, attorney general, lieutenant general, and state and county judge during the midterms.
At Choate, both the Young Republicans and the Young Democrats are excited about the upcoming midterm elections. Itai Mupanduki ’19, Head of the Choate Young Democrats, stated that Young Dems has been hosting phone banks to help get state representatives in Connecticut elected. “We have called hundreds of people throughout Wallingford and the state of Connecticut to urge them to go and vote,” Mupanduki said.
The Young Dems are currently organizing a trip to Yale University to participate in the Day of Action, a two-day event with phone banking for state election candidates and gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont.
Alex Amine ’19, Head of Choate Young Republicans, is planning a viewing party with both Young Republicans and Young Dems, believing it is important to have a viewing party together. However, Amine believes that “voting is not important in America.”
Usually, the unkept promises of a president’s campaign and the reality after a president has taken office allow for dissatisfaction among the general public. In every midterm election since the Civil War, the party of the incumbent president has lost, on average, 32 seats in the House and two in the Senate, according to NBC News.
Of the 35 Senate seats up for election this year, 26 are held by Democrats and only nine by Republicans. If Republican candidates were to take control in the Senate, the Grand Old Party would have control of both branches of Congress, giving the Republican party more influence in Washington.
However, if the Democratic party were to take over Congress, there would also be significant changes. A Democratic-led Congress would oppose the funding on Trump’s border wall with Mexico and stall Trump’s attempts to repeal Obamacare. They would also have the ability to demand the impeachment of Trump if they so desired.
The Young Republicans and Young Dems believe that this upcoming midterm election is critical for determining which party will take control over Congress. According to Mupanduki, Young Dems especially are trying to do “everything we can to help get the Democratic candidates elected.”
