If you're not American please don't comment below saying "I'm not American" because if you're not, then this blog isn't aimed at you. If you're gonna complain about politics just.... don't read the blog, dude.
I know a sizeable percentage of our Fantendo population is 18 or older and living in the U.S. For many of us, this year could be our very first time voting. If you live in America, you're certainly aware of the absolute nightmare in politics that we've faced every day since election season began.
Many people skip voting in the midterm elections and simply vote in the presidential elections. This is a horrendous pattern for obvious reasons-- who's controlling the House and Senate is virtually equally as important as who's controlling the presidency.
The Situation:
- All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for election (as they are every election season).
- In the Senate, 23 currently Democratic seats (and the 2 Independent seats that align with the Democrats) are up for election. On the contrary, only 8 Republican seats are up for election. Regardless of how you vote, it's clear that this election season could potentially change up the makeup of the Senate dramatically.
- People under 35 (which is probably 100% of everyone who will read this) make up the second largest group of eligible voters in the U.S., but only half of them vote. This means that our politics are ruled by the largest age group, baby boomers. The point is, we're not making our voice heard enough and that needs to change soon.
- All states will have a number of ballot questions-- which require not political party's association. These are simply a referendum on a particular question, getting the state's population's opinion on a matter before making whatever is decided into law. Here's a list of all ballot measures by state.
- Below is a map of all of the states with Senate and Governor races in 2018. If your state is gray in one or both maps here-- you still should vote. All House seats are up for election. Furthermore, you should vote on state measures and for elected positions at a state level such as your State Senate and House, alongside many other administrative positions alongside the governor.
The Issues: Here's just a small selection of some of the current topics in American politics on the line.
- Healthcare: The Republican party wants to do away with the Affordable Care Act in favor of a more privatized healthcare system. The Democrats have unanimously voted against this proposal, and plenty of Democrats are pushing for single-payer healthcare.
- Immigration: The Republican party has an agenda of restricting immigration from the Middle East as shown by Trump's executive orders last year. Furthermore, the ongoing debate over illegal immigration goes on-- deportations have increased heavily under this current administration. Plenty of Democrats also support taking in more refugees from the Middle East. The Democrats generally support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
- Gun Control: The Democratic party has been campaigning on increasing gun control laws which is increasing in popularity among young people-- the intent is to make guns harder to get in the wrong hands. The Republicans oppose this in the name of the 2nd Amendment, which claims a right to bear arms.
- Taxes: I don't really expect many of us to be well-versed on this subject, but the Republicans passed a bill this year cutting taxes on the wealthiest. This bill passed with a very small majority, and the Democrats unanimously opposed it.
If you want to register to vote, you can find out how to do so here. Election day in 2018 is on November 6, but in nearly every state you must be registered long before then in order to be able to vote. The registration deadline varies by state, but here's a handy tool for finding the deadline by state. If you're not 18 yet but will be before election day, you can still register now and you will be able to vote on election day.
Do a good hour or so of research on what election topics are coming up in your state. I know that for a lot of us, choosing between the political parties is annoying if you don't believe that either of them are good-- and I agree. But I believe that the small differences matter, and you should consider the options and decide what issues are the most important to you. As Fantendo's resident overly political person, I'm willing to have a conversation with you if you're unsure.
If you're the type of person who's really anti-politics, I would still recommend you vote. If you don't care what happens in politics, then at least think of the people who do care and how different types of changes in our leadership may affect them.