Today, the United States of America is officially holding its 2018 Midterm Elections. While these races have been the focus of a great deal of media attention during the past few weeks, some of the details surrounding tonight’s events are at risk of being lost due to its extremely large scale. Though it can be difficult to keep up with every single candidate or amendment being voted on, there are a few key pieces of information that will make following the midterms a little bit easier.
To begin with, some logistical basics: Midterm Elections are held during the midpoint of the President’s four-year term. They serve to elect eligible representatives at both a national and state level, as well as several candidates for local positions. This year, midterms are being monitored especially closely due to the tumultuous and controversial first two years of Trump’s Presidency. The biggest question of the night will be whether or not Democrats pick up enough seats to take back the House of Representatives and/or the Senate from Republican control.
Since we will be dealing with time zones as well as the fact that polls close at different times in different states, results are going to be coming in over several hours tonight — most likely beginning around 8 pm Eastern time. However, most of the major news networks such as CNN, MSNBC, and ABC will be providing preliminary coverage starting at 4:30 pm or 5 pm Eastern time. So after you have voted, grab some civic-duty-themed snacks and settle in for what’s shaping up to be a very long night.
In order to take back the House, Democrats need to pick up at least 24 seats, meaning that they will need to win elections in at least 24 districts that were previously held by Republican representatives. The race for control of the House is extremely important because control of the House means that Democrats will finally be able to have substantial power over President Trump’s policy. Though the President would still maintain powers such as the Presidential Veto, if Democrats held the House, they would be able to block Trump’s legislation from passing since the House originates all bills that raise revenue. Some key races to watch for the House are the 6th Congressional District of Kentucky, the 7th Congressional District of Virginia, and the 1st Congressional District of Iowa. Though these districts may not be quite as high profile as, say, the Senate race between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke, each of these districts went strongly to Trump in the 2016 Presidential election, and the win of a Democrat for these states just two years later would be a huge victory for the Democratic Party.
Despite the fact that the House is looking as though it will most likely swing Democrat, the Senate is a much tougher race for democratic control. In order to gain control of the Senate, Democrats not only need to hold onto their current 26 seats, but they also need to gain 2 more seats. This is a difficult feat, especially when Democrats are facing highly competitive races in several states such as Nevada, Arizona, and Missouri.
No matter which way the national Congress swings, however, state and local elections will play an incredibly important role over the next few years depending on which party controls them. Now that Brett Kavanaugh been confirmed to the US Supreme Court, supporters of women’s right to choose fear that this could mean new restrictive policies surrounding abortion. Since some of this power lies with the states, partisanship, as it relates to stances on reproductive freedom, is very important going into these elections. Furthermore, some of the candidates elected in this 2018 election will still be serving in 2020 and will thus have great influence over the redrawing of congressional districts.
In summary, the results of tonight’s election matter. Not only will the midterm results send a message as to how the US feels about President Trump’s rhetoric, but they will also play a part in several key issues for voters that will see real consequences in the coming months. So buckle your seatbelts and start offering to drive people to your polling place, because we’re in for a wild ride.
– Lila Olson
