You can feel it in the air– the tension at a family reunion whenever someone brings up politics. As if walking on broken glass, everyone is on their best behavior to not say anything wrong. These days, it can feel like politics have become a battleground between right and wrong, but there are many grey spaces in between. Voting is the chance to make a difference, and taking advantage of opportunities like going to the polls in the midterms and primaries, is vital. Many high school students say they feel they aren’t educated about primary and midterm elections, and according to Fair Vote, voter turnout has progressively decreased in America since the 1900s. Voting isn’t just a date on the calendar, it is a chance to change everything.
What are the Primaries?
Primary elections decide which candidates will later run in a midterm or general election. Primaries take place on every level of government elections, ranging from local to federal government. Government teacher Eric Gunderson says the first steps of an election cycle are relatively simple.
“A primary election is basically the first step of the election as a whole. The primary is when the citizens narrow down the ‘bracket.’ The primary [takes place] in the spring, then the general election is in the fall,” Gunderson said.
Open vs Closed Primaries
Depending on the state, states have either open or closed primaries. Open primaries mean whether you are a registered republican or democrat, you are able to vote for a candidate from each party. Closed primaries mean a citizen who is a registered Democratic or registered Republican must vote for the party they are registered in. Indiana has open primaries, which means that voters decide when they arrive to vote whether they would like a Democratic or Republican ballot.
What are midterms?
Midterm elections occur at the two-year mark of a Presidential term. Midterm elections determine most of the candidates of the three branches of the U.S. federal government.
A third of the U.S. Senate:
Senators serve six year terms, but every two years during the midterm elections, a third of the sitting senators are replaced. The party with more representatives in the Senate has control of the body. Today, the Senate is controlled by Republicans, but each election cycle opens up the possibility of a change of party control. The Senate is important in the process of creating and passing laws, approving positions like Supreme Court judges and cabinet members, and ratifying treaties with foreign countries.
All U.S. House seats:
Each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives has a two year term, and are either replaced or reelected during midterms. House members control a lot of day to day federal lawmaking, including taxes, and they serve as the courtroom for an impeachment hearing. impeachment. Like the Senate, the House can be controlled by a majority of either Democrats or Republicans. Because the current majority of House members are Republican, representatives of that party choose the Speaker of the House, a powerful position that controls which bills get voted on first, and lead most committees. Noblesvilles District 5 representative is Victoria Spartz.
Many state and local officials
Alaina Shonkwiler currently represents Indiana House District 29, which includes Noblesville and several surrounding counties. She says her role focuses on local and state issues like education, roads, and state taxes. Shonkwiler says one of her current priorities is also a national issue.
“I’m looking at ways I can help with healthcare insurance costs,” Shonkwiler said.
Midterm elections also determine local offices like sheriff, judge, and coroner.
How to vote
- Indiana citizens must be 18 or older to vote in the primaries, unless they are turning 18 before the midterms.
- Citizens can register to vote by scanning the QR code or https://indianavoters.in.gov/. To register, citizens must provide a valid Indiana drivers license or an Indiana state-issued ID card.
- Voters must have lived in the same house for at least 30 days prior to registering.
- If voting in person, when Election Day arrives, voters will visit the specific voting location that is assigned to the district they live in. This information can be found on the registration website used to sign up.
- To cast a vote through the mail, voters will need to request a paper absentee ballot to get sent to a home address. Mail-in ballots must be requested no less than 12 days before the election.
U.S HOUSE (district 5)-
Steven Avit, Democrat- “We need the government that’s actually run by the people, that can make life affordable for us again.”
J.D. Ford, Democrat- “I’ll fight to lower healthcare costs and make life more affordable for the families who keep Indiana moving.” (Campaign Website)
Jackson Franklin, Democrat- “Fighting back against money in politics will help a lot of the issues.”
Phil Goss, Democrat “The people…deserve a representative who answers to voters, and who understands the realities of both rural and suburban life.” (Campaign Website)
Dylan McKennam, Democrat- Campaign Priorities: Affordability, improving healthcare, and an immigration system that works.
Tara Nelson, Democrat- Campaign Priorities: Improving healthcare and rebuilding public trust. (Campaign Website)
Deborah A. Pickett, Democrat- Campaign Priorities: Defending democracy, providing universal healthcare, and building strong global trade.
Victoria Spartz, Republican- Campaign Priorities: Tackling debt, controlling spending, strong military, accountability. (Campaign Website)
Scott King, Republican- “We cannot afford to hand over our…rights… to something so advanced that it eclipses our own basic human needs.” (Ballotpedia)
INDIANA HOUSE (district 29)-
Devon Wellington – “[Public education] is the foundation of our state, of our country, it’s everything.”
Coumba Kebe – “There are many things that the state government can do to help improve affordability.”
Alaina Shonkwiler – “When I look at top priorities… it’s really looking at property taxes.”
Being an informed voter –
High schoolers often get their news and policy information off of social media, according to “Psychology Today” by Patrick L. Plaisances’ article from Psychology Today,
“More than 60% of Americans rely either wholly or in part on social media platforms for their news,” Plaisance said.
According to Plaisance, social media feeds are not designed less to increase awareness of the world. Their goal is to keep eyes on the platform.
“Their exposure is highly selective and based on what their friends are likely to share. It’s rarely a well-rounded sampling of important news coverage and much of it is likely to be opinion and punditry rather than actual news reporting,” Plaisance said.
Adolescents might just go along with whatever their parents believe in politically instead of doing their own research, says social studies teacher Stephanie Gilbert.
“Sometimes people are not super-knowledgeable when it comes to voting, but they are under the impression that they are,” Gilbert said.
“They could just say, ‘My parents voted for this party, so I’m going to support this party.’ And they vote against their own interests,” Gilbert said.
According to an article by Mehmood Niaz for Vocal Media, a solution to this problem would be to consume a diverse mix of factual news and reliable sources like the Associated Press (AP), the BBC, and PBS. These sources work to provide more factual media coverage rather than only opinions. Comparing diverse sources like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times is a good way to identify how a story is framed and find an unbiased stance about a situation.
“I try to be factual and get all the correct information. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. It’s hard to be perfect. No one‘s ever perfect. But I try. And there’s only so much time in the day, because I have a life outside of school too, as we all do,” Gunderson said. “While it is hard to get the complete truth in the world we live in today, it’s still good to try.”
Gilbert encourages new voters to do some brief media research, examine parties and their interests, and look at each of the candidates campaign pages. Then find the candidates who hold similar beliefs.
“Remember to feel really proud and to celebrate your vote. There are places where you could get hurt and end up in the hospital because of your political beliefs.” Gilbert said, “Don’t take your voice for granted. Recognize your privilege and free will. Be grateful.”
