Ballot being cast in a ballot box. October 30th, 2018. Photo Credit: Element 5 Digital on Unsplash
Midterm elections should not be treated as an afterthought. They are pivotal moments in shaping the political landscape for years to come, and students have the power to shape them.
Presidential elections tend to receive the spotlight. While they are important, the midterm elections matter just as much.
Midterms quietly shape policies that affect lives. From education funding to social rights, the outcome of the midterms hold long-term consequences.
Midterm elections focus on the two chambers of Congress: the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives.
Members of the House are elected for two-year terms, so all 435 seats are decided during midterms. These races determine the balance of power in Congress and, ultimately, which policies move forward.
“Whoever controls the House, or the Senate controls the agenda,” said Gary Nordlinger, a professor of politics at George Washington University. “A president’s ability to accomplish his agenda has everything to do with whether his party controls the two houses of Congress.”
When control of Congress shifts, so does the legislative direction of the country. Committee leadership changes, bills are prioritized or stalled and legislation affecting student-relevant issues such as climate policy, healthcare and student aid may never reach a vote.
Despite these high stakes, young voters remain among the most disengaged groups in voter participation.
A 2025 analysis by the AP-NORC Center found that adults under 30 are significantly less likely than older generations to follow U.S. politics closely or view voting as very important even though many care about broad social issues.
This gap between concern and participation is significant and costly.
Youth participation has long been a catalyst for change, yet disengagement from voting continues to grow. This matters because even small shifts in turnout can significantly affect election outcomes.
Midterm elections consistently see lower turnout than presidential years, with participation hovering around 40 to 50 percent of eligible voters. In elections with fewer participants, each vote carries more weight. Research also shows that election outcomes are often driven more by who turns out than by shifts in political preference.
Recent trends at Kennesaw State University illustrate what happens when students engage.
According to “How Do KSU Students Feel About Voting?,” college student voting increased by 13 percent nationally between 2016 and 2020, and KSU students voted above the national average, earning recognition as one of Georgia’s few designated voter-friendly campuses.
KSU students have made clear that issues such as the economy, healthcare, reproductive rights and climate policy influence their votes. These very issues shaped by midterm elections and congressional control.
Additionally, data from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement (NSLVE) at Tufts University shows that among registered students, the turnout rate reached 70 percent in 2024.
Although these numbers are slightly lower than the turnout rate seen in 2020, it remains significant and reflects student engagement.
Silence is still a political choice and one that comes with consequences. Increasing student turnout has the potential to reshape not only who wins elections, but which issues are prioritized afterward.
Taking the midterms seriously starts with paying attention. Democracy depends on participation, and participation depends on engagement.
Students should approach midterms with the same urgency as presidential elections because their impact is just as real, and just as lasting.
