Midterm elections are approaching, and they are closer than ever. On Nov. 6, 2018, millions of Americans will take to the polls to have their voices heard. All over the country, key battles are unfolding, which could very well shift the party  majority in Congress. 

In particular, a highly contested battle in Tennessee is taking place. Marsha Blackburn, a congresswoman, serving the 7th district in Tennessee, is facing monumental amounts of backlash in her home state. 

Blackburn’s voting record has caused her plenty of complications. In a world where information on just about anything is a quick google search away, the times of your former actions staying in the past are over. 

Blackburn’s stances on many issues came into question when global superstar, Taylor Swift, ended her twelve-year silence on politics to speak out against Blackburn’s track record and to endorse her opponent, Phil Bredesen. Blackburn is against the equal pay of women, gay rights and domestic violence victims who are not women.

Swift was quick to tell her 111 million followers on Instagram that this is not the image she has for her home state of Tennessee. Thereby using her platform to inform all people of age to get out and vote, no matter which representative they prefer. 

Echoing this sentiment of the importance of voting, Rick Larsen, a member of Congress and the representative for many students who attend Edmonds Community College, states matter-of-factly, “No matter if you believe we need to make America great again, or if America is already great, it does not mean a thing if you do not go out and vote”.

Voting is a constitutional right which is a fundamental aspect of democracy in America. Casting a ballot is the primary way citizens all over the nation can have their voices heard, yet only a fraction of those able to vote actually have their voices heard.

According to information presented by the United States Elections project, about 250 million Americans were of voting age during the last election in 2016. Out of those 250 million, only about 55 percent of those voted, which translates to approximately 138 million people. 

These numbers are startling, especially in the political climate that we are in today, where many Americans seem disenchanted by our political system, and most of them believe their vote indeed does not matter in the grand scheme of things. This kind of cynical mindset causes many people to stay home on election day, taking crucial votes away from the voting pool. 

One of these fed-up voters, Joseph Langston, a server who waits tables at Anthony’s Beach Café, believes that our votes do matter but fall on people who do not stay true to their agenda. In other words, Langston believes that politicians often run on lies to get their policies voted in; however, they hardly ever make sure their promises become a reality. 

In a campaign closer to home, Cathy Rodgers and Lisa Brown are head to head in a historical, political race in the 5th congressional district in Washington state. The amount of money fundraised for both women is paralleled, at about 5.5 million dollars each. This close race in cash mirrors the neck-to-neck polls reported throughout Spokane’s news sources. 

In a district which is historically led by Republicans, fourteen years have transpired since a Democrat represented the region, the close race is under the microscope of many political commentators. Many believe that Rodgers no longer shares the values of Eastern Washington, which have changed over the last two decades giving Brown a chance to win the race. 

Of the issues discussed in debates between the two women, the nation’s health care system and its economy are the two that are of utmost importance. For Brown, affordable health care which is state-funded and universal is what she is pioneering for, a historically known position of the Democratic party’s platform. 

Rodgers, on the other hand, is busy striving to remedy the economy, or in other words, help corporations keep their hefty tax cuts, which the president signed into law last year. This stance appeals to the many millionaires who inhabit Eastern Washington, however; these affluent people are hardly the majority, which is why the race is so close. 

Regardless of which background an individual comes from, either a wealthy family, a broken family, or just a typical, middle-class family, the importance to educate oneself on the issues at hand and the folks running for office is pivotal. Now, more than ever, being informed about these subjects is critical to not only giving a vote but a mindful vote which comes from an educated standpoint. 

In a country which is rife in division and partisanship, one thing can be agreed upon by all parties: no matter who you support, or what you believe in, your voice needs to be heard, and the only way to do that is to cast a vote on or before November 6th. 

Get out there and VOTE!