Over the last decade voter turnout for college students has been on the rise. On Tuesday, Nov. 8, citizens of the United States have the opportunity to vote in midterm elections. 

The 2020 presidential election brought a record-breaking 66% of college students to the polls, up 13% from the 2016 presidential election. Midterm election turnout has also been on the rise, with the 2018 turnout nearly doubling 2014 at 39.1%. So, what can we expect to see in these upcoming midterms from Missouri Southern students, as well as students nationwide. 

Over the last week, we conducted a survey of Missouri Southern students and asked them these four questions. Are you registered to vote? Have you ever voted before? Do you plan on voting in the upcoming November election? Do you know what we will be voting on in November? 

74% of students at MSSU reported being registered to vote, which is significantly higher than the national average for 18-24 year olds, at 59.8%. 47% of students surveyed reported having voted in previous elections, and 75% expressed plans to vote in November. Only 21%, however, knew what was being voted on.

Midterms are the elections held halfway through a presidential term. In midterm elections, all 50 states vote on seats for the House of Representatives. In this election cycle 34 Senate seats will also be voted on, including seats in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. 

In midterm election years some states also hold their governor elections. States voting on governors in November:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

In order to find out what your state will be voting on in November, you can check your state’s website, the link for citizens of Missouri is here.

Growing up, I’ve always heard, “your vote matters because you’re choosing the future of our country.”

But that reasoning meant nothing to me when I learned about the electoral college. Therefore, my perspective shifted from “I can change the world” to “why should I vote when only the electoral college votes matter?”

With Missouri’s midterm election just days away, students may realize that they know nothing about voting. After conducting a survey and talking to students, I realized that most Missouri Southern students don’t know who they’re voting for, or what issues they’re voting on. Honestly, some didn’t even realize that there is an election this November. 

Contrary to what I believed, voting really does matter. So while most just participate in presidential elections, it’s really the state and local elections that are significant. 

In 2018, midterm elections saw a record-breaking number of people at the polls in over 100 years, according to pewresearch.org. 68% of those voters said that part of the reason they voted is that they believe that the political party that controls Congress matters. 

This year all states will vote on representatives, 36 states will vote on governors, and 34 states will vote on Senators along with various local office positions. These positions are key to determining solutions regarding schools, police, budgeting, minimum wage, laws, etc. 

The elected officials in midterm elections can decide things such as LGBTQ+ rights, gun safety, climate change and more. These decisions can change your everyday life. For example, with abortion, state officials get the opportunity to decide whether they choose to enact anti-abortion laws, or allow it. 

You should vote this November to support officials that reinforce your beliefs. This is the first step in seeing changes in the community that you care about. Voting also gives you the feeling of civic pride that you can carry with you for years to follow. 

We are privileged as a society to have the opportunity to partake in a democracy. So ultimately, the answer is yes, you should vote. You’ll even get a sticker!

For students, voting while still in school can be difficult. Some may be across the country, or just not in the right district of their state to vote. This can cause students to not want to vote, or to feel like they can’t. 

Absentee ballots, also called mail-in ballots, are a key element for many college students when it comes to exercising their civic right to vote.

The Missouri Secretary of State’s webpage lays out the process, and options for citizens of the state to vote absentee. 

Students at Missouri Southern expressed their confusion about voting. Students wanted to know what to expect when voting and what would be on the ballot for midterm elections. 

Josh DeTar was elected as a Joplin city councilman on April 5, 2022. Because of his position, DeTar relies on voting and the election process to be voted into office. 

“You have to ask people to vote for you,” DeTar said when speaking about running for councilman. “You vote for people you feel are going to represent you… and your ideas and your thoughts the best.”

Statistics show a common voting age gap across most countries. For the 2016 Presidential election, less than half of young Americans ages 18-29 voted. According to the New York Times, habit formation, opportunity cost and alternative participation explained the voting gap.

Habit formation refers to either being in the habit of voting regularly versus not being in that habit. Since young voters may not have much experience voting, it can make them hesitant to start. Opportunity cost in this instance, refers to young adults not having the job flexibility or financial cushion to take off so they can vote. Lastly, alternative participation refers to the younger generation’s participation in other forms of political action, such as protests and social media movements.