Be an informed student: A Guide to the Midterm Elections

By Ellery A. '30

While every four years the presidential elections grab the most headlines, the midterm elections also have a profound impact on our American lives. This year’s November 3rd midterm elections will impact the way in which President Trump pursues his agenda during his next two years in office.

You might know that the United States’ Constitution states many rules that are set in place to balance the powers of the federal government and the states’ governments. It is important that this stability is maintained; otherwise, the country could fall into an abyss of disruption of public services, financial collapse, and political strain. It is crucial to know that the state governments have the power to organize their elections, as described in the Constitution in the States and Elections Clause: “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.”

A total of 99 congressional seats—83 in the House of Representatives and 16 in the Senate—are guaranteed to have new occupants this year mainly due to retirements, resignations, defeats, or runs for other office. Midterms this year will decide which party will control the Senate, which determines which party will influence many decisions, such as presidential appointments to cabinet, legislation, and the initiation of budget bills.

This year, where the Democrats are generally excited about their prospects, the Republicans are worried. While the Democrats only need to flip four districts to take control of the House (if they hold their current seats) and just four Republican-held states to take control of the Senate (which means a democratic candidate must win statewide in a currently Republican-represented state four times in different states). Flipping the Senate will be a tougher task because there are far fewer Senate seats up for election.

So you might be wondering: how is Trump involved in this process? Well, as a president, he is not on the midterm ballot, but his effect on the campaign will be inevitable. Only one president since 1950 has headed into a midterm with an approval rating of 40%: George W. Bush (2006) at 37%, and now Trump, at 39% as of September 20th. The major concern impacting midterm voters right now is the cost of living: inflation due to the war with Iran and President Trump’s tariffs.

Mail-In Voting:

As you may know, in the past there have been three main ways to vote in elections: in-person voting in venues such as a government building, a school or university, a library, or a place of worship; mail-in voting; and electronic voting.

Mail-in voting is incredibly important in society, as many U.S. citizens live in suburban areas, have children to take care of, or just want more time. It is a safe and secure method of voting. In the past presidential and midterm elections, one in three people cast votes by mail.

On September 14th, the Supreme Court blocked Trump’s executive order to restrict mail-in ballots in the lead-up to the midterms, a major loss for Trump. This thwarted attempt to have the U.S. Postal Service screen mail-in ballots was just one part of an effort to have more control of state-run elections involving the federal government’s whole power. However, a whistleblower (a U.S. Postal Service official) has recently alleged that the agency is moving forward with an effort to carry out President Trump’s order exerting federal control over mail-in voting, despite the court order. The official filed a whistleblower report and claimed that the agency had planned to complete a new digital system overseeing mail ballots by September 1, called the Federal Ballot Mail Portal. Since the portal’s verification process requires barcodes on the envelopes used, the whistleblower asserted that this process could reject tens of thousands of ballots in bulk mailing matches if even one barcode was invalid, and that the rushed development of the portal could significantly increase chances of failure in the verification process.

Such behavior could interfere with the election in a number of ways, such as sending batches of invalid barcodes to regions that are more democratic, or citizens not receiving their ballots in a timely manner (making it impossible for them to vote in time for counting).

As we students come to CPS every day to prepare ourselves to inherit the future, understanding, analyzing, and, for those of voting age, participating in the midterm elections will ensure that our voices help shape the policies that affect our lives.