The 2018 Midterm Elections was an election to remember. What made this midterm election so remarkable were all the “firsts”. For one, a record 117 women were elected to positions on the federal scale. Two Native American women were elected to Congress for the first time. Two Muslim women were elected to Congress for the first time, and the two youngest woman (both 29 years old) were elected as well. The first LGBTQ woman was elected. This is epic for our country. Is it because the voter turnout reached an all-time high of 113 million voters? Whatever the case may be, this is exciting and monumental for the American people.
We have become a divided nation between Republicans and Democrats. It is extremely encouraging that there were 60% more voters at this election than in previous years. Maybe, we can look at this division in our country positively. People are passionate about their issues and will do what they can to make changes. The way to express values, ideals and the way you feel about important issues affecting our country is to vote. People are exercising their right to vote which is what our country has been built on, a Democracy, and that is really exciting. People are realizing they can make a change by showing up to the polls.
The campaigns that are seen on television, the signs posted around town, the hundreds of mailers that are dropped in our mailbox all encourage the nation to go to the polls and help make changes in the country.
The Democrats gained control of the House of Representatives and 17 of the 27 seats will be filled by women. Republicans retained control of the Senate, and one of the seats went to Marsha Blackburn, who is Tennessee’s first female Senator. As the New York Times states, “This is the so-called Year of Woman.”
If this election is any indication of how our country is letting their voices be heard, the 2020 election will be far more interesting and exciting. Positive results in elections lead to more discussions and more groups coming together. Apathetic American citizens are few and far between; people are voting and taking advantage of their Constitutional right. Educating our students about voting, and demonstrating how changes can and will come about if people do what they should, gets students motivated and excited to vote when they turn 18 years old.
Let us look at all these changes in Congress, all the diversity being elected, all the American people coming together and voting as our Founding Fathers expected us to and to continue to execute their ideas. This is how we will make changes and keep our country strong and uphold our great Constitution.