General Elections are the elections where we vote for candidates who represent us at a Statewide or National level. These national positions are the President, Congress Representatives, and Senators. The issues they support and take stances on shape the laws that affect the entire country and don’t vary by state, county, or city. These main issues cover a very wide range of topics such as healthcare, education, civil rights, national debt, national security, environmental issues, and minimum wage. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to identify all of the issues covered in these elections and what you agree and disagree with. But these positions are really important and there are many reliable resources to help you learn more about the main stances of each of the candidates to help you make an informed decision on who you want to vote for.
Local elections are so important because you're voting on issues and candidates that will affect your specific community. While national elections are important and can bring change to the entire country, a lot can get done at the local level and sometimes be even more impactful than national elections.
The midterms, or midterm elections, are elections that are held during the second year of a president's four year term. President Biden was elected in 2020 and began his term in 2021, so we are having midterm elections in November 2022 for representatives that begin their terms in the beginning of 2023.
Why do we have midterm elections? While we only hold presidential elections every four years, members of the House of Representative are elected every two years and members of the Senate every six years. In addition to these important national seats, many states, including Michigan, also have more local races and issues on the ballot. In 2022, 50 states will have races for members of the House of Representatives, and 36 states, one of which is Michigan, will elect governors. Thirty four states will elect Senators.
Despite not being elections for the President, midterm elections are very important for national, state, and local politics. Unfortunately, they also have a significantly lower voter turnout rate. In Michigan, the last presidential election year had ~70% turnout rate of age eligible voters. In the last midterm year, 2018, 57% of age eligible voters cast a vote (US Elections Project).
View the voting ballot for your precinct ahead of time on the Michigan Voter Information Center. Another option is Ballot Ready which allows you to explore what candidates and issues will be on your upcoming ballot and gives you background information on the candidates. You can find a pull list of the races happening in Michigan on the Secretary of State's website. You will not be voting for all of these races, it will be a limited number based on what country or district you live in.
Feel free to print out a filled out sample ballot with you to your polling location! You can also bring in a piece of paper with who you'd like to vote for or your phone to do some last minute research.
After the elections take place you will be able to find the official result on the Michigan Department of State's website, along with more data about elections.
It is imperative that individuals make informed decisions regarding elections by using sources such as the ones below to research candidates and political issues. The list we have provided is not an all-inclusive list and we encourage everyone to conduct their own research using credible sources. Just as credible sources are necessary in a research paper, they provide the foundation for analysis and a strong argument. Less reliable sources such as blogs, tweets, and forums may spark your interest in a topic, but remember to always fact check your sources.
"How to Research | MediaWise Voter Guide #2" is created by How to Vote in Every State, which is part of the non-profit, MediaWise.
The resources below provide different viewpoints on topical political issues:
Below is a list of great places to get information on candidates and what they stand for:
Think critically about what issues you really care about and who is the best candidate to represent your positions on those issues. Also think critically about when and why they're supporting different issues. In the US it's public where candidates get their funding and donations from. Think about where they're getting their money from. Check out Open Secrets, created by "Center for Responsive Politics is the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. [Their] vision is for Americans to be empowered by access to clear and unbiased information about money’s role in politics and policy and to use that knowledge to strengthen our democracy. [Their] mission is to produce and disseminate peerless data and analysis on money in politics to inform and engage Americans, champion transparency, and expose disproportionate or undue influence on public policy."
