In the 2016 general election (a Presidential year), 76.3% of registered voters in Monroe County cast their ballot. Two years later, in the 2018 midterms, 62.2% of registered voters went to the polls, an increase of 15.3% from the 46.9% that voted in the 2014 midterms. People have begun to realize the importance of going to the polls yearly, as off-year elections have also increased participation. But what is the importance of participating in this annual civic activity? The simple answer is that every year, representatives are chosen that affect your everyday life from the local level to the Federal level. The more complex answer is the changes or lack thereof that those elected officials effectuate.
Midterm elections are often a barometer of how citizens have been doing since the last Presidential election. The increasing turnout for midterm elections after years of lowering percentages is encouraging, but we must continue emphasizing the importance of exercising one’s right to vote. The main coverage during midterms is control of Congress, where every member of the House of Representatives and one-third of Senators are up every two years.
Suppose the electorate feels the winner of the most recent presidential election is doing well. In that case, they will usually support the President’s party in Congressional races, often giving that party a united government with the White House, House of Representatives, and Senate all belonging to the same political party, and a mandate to carry out that party’s platform for the next two years. If the people are dissatisfied with how things are going, they can decrease a party’s majority or perhaps even flip control of a chamber, as was done in the House in three of the last four midterms (2018, 2010, and 2006).
When there is a split government (when different parties control the Presidency and one or both houses of Congress), there must be a bipartisan agreement, or else no major, sweeping legislation can be enacted.In addition, these elections are often referendums on the incumbent President’s job performance, and the support of his policies and performance is demonstrated by that party’s candidate’s ability to gain votes. Finally, in midterms, voters decide: Has your life and livelihood improved in the last two years? Do you think the country is going in the right direction, or is it off the wrong track? These are the questions that are asked and answered in midterm elections. A perfect example of this is the 2010 midterms. When former President Barack Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009, 255 Democrat House members and 60 Democrat senators were enough to overcome a filibuster. As a result of these large majorities, President Obama passed a major stimulus package that helped pull America out of the Great Recession and passed the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obamacare.” Because the Republicans were able to energize their voters against Obamacare, calling it a government takeover of health care, they successfully ended unified Democratic control of the US government. The 2010 elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, in the middle of Democratic President Barack Obama’s first term. Republicans ended unified Democratic control of Congress and the presidency by winning a majority in the House of Representatives.
Republicans gained seven seats in the Senate (including a special election held in January 2010) but failed to gain a majority in the chamber. In the House of Representatives, Republicans won 63 seats, the largest shift in seats since the 1948 elections. In state elections, Republicans won a net gain of six gubernatorial seats and flipped control of twenty state legislative chambers, giving them a substantial advantage in the redistricting following the 2010 United States Census. The election was widely characterized as a “Republican wave” election.
The heavy Democratic losses in 2010 were mainly attributed to the passing of the Affordable Care Act, poor economic recovery from The Great Recession, and large budget deficits. The reality is that many Democrats did not vote in the election, especially African Americans. As a result of these losses, President Obama’s agenda was largely stalled. While reelected in 2012, he could not pass any other ambitious legislation on his agenda (immigration reform, climate change, shoring up Obamacare, criminal justice reform).
Instead, he had to negotiate with Republicans to prevent a government shutdown. Congressional seats aren’t the only things on the ballot. Judgeships, local offices, governorships, state legislatures, and sometimes referenda and state constitution amendments occur. For example, in 2022, Monroe County has two State Supreme Court Justices, a Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, US Senator, US Representative, and Family Court Judge on the ballot county-wide, as well as every member of the New York State Legislature delegation and many city, town, and village positions. The balance of power is delicate, and the elections that happen each year at all levels of government determine which side will hold that power, at least until the next election.
All in all, we must remember that elections occur every year, and each one of them has a distinct impact on our lives; of course, the years when the Presidency is up for election have the most consequential national decisions on the ballot, but odd-numbered years are full of local races that most affect your day-to-day life (County Executive, Mayor, Town Supervisor, District Attorney, Sheriff, County Legislature, City Council, Town Board/Council, School Board). So remember to vote this year and every year. Most politics is local, and your voice and your vote are just as important, if not more important, on the local level. So utilize every opportunity to exercise your right to vote.
By Sabrina LaMar, President, Monroe County Legislature
