On Tuesday, November 3, voters will cast ballots for all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate, influencing our nation’s priorities. Some states, including Massachusetts, will vote to re-elect their incumbent or choose a new governor. Living within Andover’s campus, and with the majority of students being under the voting age of 18, some of us might overlook the midterms. But regardless of voting eligibility, we ought to challenge ourselves to consider the issues that we care about most, create discussion with those around us, and eventually develop informed decisions on congressional candidates.
Over the past few months, Democratic and Republican primary elections have swept the U.S. with underdog victories and tightly-contested races. In each of these races, voters have pitted contenders against one another, ultimately using their voting power to support their preferred candidate. Eligible citizens will continue to exercise their right to vote by casting ballots on the third.
Though the majority of us lack such voting privileges by being under 18 or because of U.S. citizenship status, it is still incredibly valuable to stay informed on midterm elections; doing so will not only prepare us for when we are old enough to vote, but set a precedent that we care about the world beyond Andover.
Our nation’s Representatives and Senators espouse differing ideologies. Inevitably, their stances on pressing topics, such as the rising cost of goods, healthcare, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, vary. Whether you traveled across the globe to come to Andover or can find home only a 30-minute drive from campus, midterm candidates’ viewpoints will have an impact on our and our community’s lives. We can start to have a say in this impact by understanding and valuing the fact that the candidates in this election cycle have power to advocate in Congress on our behalf.
To students ineligible to vote, let’s first educate ourselves on this election cycle by finding news that we trust, researching online, or talking to family members, peers, or faculty about getting informed. By researching the different priorities of prospective Representatives and Senators, we can start to think about the issues to which we want to see the most change. Those who would like to go further might consider joining the campaign of their preferred candidate and informing others on why they support them. Impact can manifest through means other than casting a ballot, and where we call home and voter eligibility are not excuses to overlook the midterm elections.
