What Are the Midterm Elections and Why Should We Care?

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By Lily Pichardo

HPCMS, Long Island City - What is the midterm election that everyone is talking about you might be asking? Well, I’m here to help you understand!

    Photo Credit: Alexi Stegner and Sarah Horie

Q & A

 What is the midterm election?
According to CNN, the midterm election is an election that occurs halfway through the president's term.

Who is being elected?
According to USA.gov:
  • 435 seats in the US House of Representatives
  • One third of all US senators. 
  • Thirty-six state governors and three U.S territory governors.
  • Many city mayors and local representatives.
What does any of this mean? 
Congress is the part of the government that creates laws. It is divided into two branches - the house of representatives and the senate (both are controlled by the republicans currently).

How is the senate different from the house of representatives?
Each state has two senators but the number of representatives is based on population so it can vary widely from state to state.

How many senators and how many representatives are there in congress?
There are 100 senators and 435 representatives in congress.

Who are the NY senators?
Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

When is the midterm election?
Tuesday, November 6th, 2018. Tomorrow!

Do your parents’ votes matter?
Absolutely! Of course it probably won’t be the tie-breaking vote, but it does contribute to the person running for the seat. Every vote matters!

Why should you and I care (about the midterm elections)?
From my perspective, I care because knowing and understanding who is currently in control of the place where I live is very important to me. Of course, I could have gone on not knowing how complicated the government is but it’s better to be aware than oblivious. So, next time there is any sort of election know who your parents are voting for. If they are not voting at all (in which case they should be. Answered why in #4), then suggest that they do so. And if one day you are given the chance to vote for something you want then absolutely do it.

How can I learn about the Midterm elections?
There are many sites you could visit, like this one or this one and the ones linked above, but if you happen to have no access to the internet you could:
  • Ask your parents.
  • Go to the library and read a book about it.
  • Ask a peer who happens to know about it.
  • Ask a person (who you trust) who happens to know about it. 
Wonderful! Now you are more knowledgeable about the Midterm Elections and you can teach other people who ask to know about it!

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