As of now, the House of Representatives and Congress is almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans but all of that can change within a month. The 2022 Midterm Elections will be held Tuesday, November 8th and will determine who will fill the seats in the Senate, the House of Representatives, and other important roles in the government. 

While this election takes place every two years, this year is imperative and based on who comes out and votes, will change the lives of every single person in this country. 

Throughout the past two years, Republicans and Democrats have struggled to get anything passed as a result of the even split in Congress but if one party takes the majority, the country will start changing at a rapid pace. 

In terms of Republicans, they have already announced their plans if they win the majority which include a nationwide permanent ban on abortion, attempt to impeach President Biden, and many other attacks on the Biden Administration. 

In response to Republicans plans on a permanent abortion ban, President Biden recently announced that if Democrats win the majority, Roe V Wade will be codified.

A poll with 20 random students at DHS was conducted and the results were shocking. While all 20 stated that they believe voting in the Midterm Elections is important, only 7 out of 20 stated they even knew that there even were midterm elections taking place this November. 

“I literally have no knowledge about any of these people,” an anonymous student admitted. In fact, when students were asked about whether they recognize any political candidates on the ballot this election, most stated that they could only recognize them from signs around Danbury with no further knowledge on who they are and what they are running for. 

According to PJ Bekkali, President of the DHS Democrats Club, every midterm election, especially this one, is very important. “ We need to be able to make an impact on our community. These things are affecting everyone.” 

Bekkali is a strong advocate for youth participation in politics and believes some of the best ways to get involved and become informed is joining political clubs like the DHS Democrats Club, or the DHS Young Republicans, learning from social media, and most importantly, doing your own research. 

“There is a lot of misinformation and bias on the internet so make sure that you are getting your information from reliable sources.” Along with that, Bekkali adds that political commentators are a great way to become informed on recent political events. 

In response to what is different about this midterm election compared to previous years, they stated “The Republican party is being more aggressive with their slander campaigns.” Bekkali describes that contrary to past midterm elections, this year many more defamatory Youtube advertisements and TV commercials targeting Democratic candidates were launched. 

Despite most students at DHS not being able to vote yet, everyone can become informed on politics through factual, non biased news outlets such as Associated Press, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal. Along with that, everyone can make their opinion matter by making changes to their community whether that be by voting if eligible, or talking to people who can vote.