With the midterm elections coming up there is increased pressure for people to go out and vote. This pressure has increased within the past year, then it has ever before. We can only wonder why this election is so important, and why the younger generation is being increasingly pressured to let their voice be heard. 

While the midterm elections can’t change who the head of state is, they can the influence of his party. Midterm elections are reevaluating our senators and representatives in office, keeping the President in check. It determines whether there is a republican or democratic majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.  

It also determines who is going to make the decisions for us, who is going to be our voice. As Trevor Schwab said:

“Here in America we live in a democratic republic, which is a form of government where the people chose representatives. They do this through the popular vote. So we don’t have a direct say in what our government does the majority of the time, it’s these representatives that we elect, and it’s our duty to vote to pick the best representatives to create the best possible society for ourselves.” 

Many influential people in Hollywood are also getting involved and urging others to get involved. Rosario Dawson, an actress, producer, singer, comic book writer, and political activist is just one of the many people trying to get more people involved.  

“…it’s critical that we show up at the midterms because these governships, these legislatures, our senators, our congresspeople-these are the people who are gonna make hugely impactful decisions for your community, for your wallet, for your job, for your access to health care, what kind of quality education your children are gonna have access to.” 

While voting might not seem like an important issue for young people to get involved in, many assure that it is. Trevor Schwab says it’s because, “We’re basically preparing for 18 years learning how to function in the world. In those 18 years one of the overlooked factors is that we also have to learn how to vote and make the best decision for ourselves. Because in reality, there’s always going to be bad politicians, there’s always going to be the corrupt, there’s always going to be the inept, there’s always going to be the people that just aren’t qualified. But, if the majority of people are well informed, and they make the right decisions to best reflect their values, then they’ve done the most they can to get the best out of their society.”