You’ve seen the yard signs. You’ve received campaign ads. You’ve heard commercials. But will you vote?
The 2022 primary midterm election is Tuesday, and the results will affect the course of the next two years in the United States, yet voter turnout is likely to be very low.
Both primary and midterm elections see less voter turnout than general and presidential election years. Putting the two together means nearly nonexistent turnout.
In the 2020 general election, 76.9% of registered voters cast their ballot. I get it - It’s the president of the United States. It’s a huge decision that falls to the people. But there are three branches of government - and the legislative is arguably the most impactful to our lives.
With the Senate as even as it is, even a few flipped seats could change party control - yet still, voters won’t turnout.
In contrast to the general election, only 24.5% of registered voters showed up for the 2020 primary election. I can’t be the only one frustrated to hear people say they are dissatisfied with the candidate choices, yet they didn’t even cast a vote to select another option?
But here’s the real kicker - those were both presidential election years. In the last midterm primary, only 13.5% of registered voters turned out. That’s not even considering people who aren’t registered to vote. Those are the numbers we are up against on Tuesday.
The demographic that remains mostly voiceless are the younger voters. Less than 5% under the age of 24 and less than 7% under the age of 34 voted in 2018. Why is that?
Some will blame Gen Z or millennials for their generations’ outlooks or behaviors, but the truth is that young voters have always shied away from the polls. In college, I spoke with my American politics professor who told me that young people simply aren’t at a point in their lives where politics or government action seems relevant.
In the last several years, this has changed some. With the topic introduction of free college, the demographic of young voters were targeted specifically for the first time, and it showed as 18-24 year old voting numbers increased in 2016 from prior years.
One of the most important things we can do for our kids is let them research and formulate their own opinions. Growing up, I didn’t know what political party my dad aligned with until I was over 18.
Here’s the thing parents - even though he didn’t try to influence my political opinions, the way he raised me played a role in what values I aligned with, and now as adults, we agree on the majority of topics.
Somehow, it has become so terrifying to disagree with people that we want to control the message we send to our children, but this creates uneducated voters. What will they do when you aren’t around? How will they vote when it’s not just two options for president? How will they support local elections? They can’t.
No matter your age, take some time to review the candidates of the election. I’ve listed them all at the end for your convenience. If you have a teenager, pull them aside. Talk about what issues they think matter and research where the candidates stand on those items.
Maybe I just speak for myself, but going to vote in 2016 and 2020, I was so defeated in where we stood as a country. I wanted better. I wanted more. I’m 27. My generation needs help if we are going to build a better country for our families.
I don’t care who you vote for. I just care that you vote passionately for what you believe in. Don’t just vote - be educated. Use your voice.
Democrat candidates:
United States Senator: Abby Finkenaur, MIchael Franken, Glenn Hurst.
Rep. Dist. 3: Cindy Axne.
Governor: Deidre DeJear.
Secretary of State: Joel Miller, Erick Van Lancker.
State Auditor: Rob Sand.
State Treasurer: Michael Fitzgerald.
Secretary of Agriculture: John Norwood.
Attorney General: Tom Miller.
State Sen. District 9: no formal candidates.
State Rep. 17: no formal candidates.
Republican candidates:
United States Senate: Charles Grassley, Jim Carlin.
Rep. Dist. 3: Nicole Hasso, Gary Leffler, Zach Nunn.
Governor: Kim Reynolds.
Secretary of State: Paul Pate.
State Auditor: Todd Halbur, Mary Ann Hanusa.
State Treasurer: Roby Smith.
Secretary of Agriculture: Mike Naig.
Attorney General: Brenna Bird.
State Rep. 23: Ray Sorensen.
Union County Supervisor: no formal candidates
County Treasurer: Kelly Busch.
County Recorder: Katie Carlton
County Attorney: Shane Patrick O’Toole.