BY: CHARLES ELMO
Staff Writer
November 7, 2018
The 2018 midterm election may be the biggest United States election in recent history of the United States, but the current generation does not feel the need to prioritize voting. According to CBS News, an estimated 113 million people participated in the 2018 midterm elections, making this the first midterm in history to exceed over 100 million votes, with 49 percent of eligible voters participating in the election.
According to CNN’s Gregory Wallace, the 126 million votes counted during the 2016 presidential election means that about 55% of voting-age citizens cast ballots. That measure of turnout was the lowest in a presidential election since 1996, when 53.5% of voting-age citizens turned out.
The midterm elections are held halfway through Trump’s presidential term. A new make up of Congress could affect his ability to govern. The outcome of the midterms could reduce Trump’s powers.
“When my mom told me to go out and vote, I honestly didn’t feel like it,” William Annunziato, sophomore said. Annunziato did vote in his hometown of Hackensack, however, after turning 19 back in April, despite not feeling obligated.
Danny Pobutkiewicz, a business major at FDU, did not vote in his hometown of Bogota. “Why go out and vote when you don’t even feel your vote matters? It is only one vote out of all the other people voting. I felt one vote probably wouldn’t have made a difference,” Pobutkiewicz said.
Dr. Bruno Battistoli, a professor at FDU, felt strongly about the importance of voting.
“I vote every election because it is part of my responsibility as a citizen. This is a democracy… If people don’t participate, it fails,” Battistoli said.
When asked if he felt that his vote matters, Battistoli responded with a story saying, “I live in a small town in upstate New York and in the mayoral election two campaigns ago, the winner won by 7 votes.”
Voting will continue to be the opportunity for citizens to have their say as the country continues to move into the future.
Photo By: Study Breaks Magazine.
