November 4th 2014 will kick off a very important exercise in the United States, the Midterm elections. Every two years before the presidential elections that are held quadrennial, Americans go for general elections, which is at the midpoint of the full four year term of presidential elections. Midterm elections as we all know are not as publicized or emphasized as the presidential elections, but are one of the most important elections in the country. Interestingly, only a fraction of the population vote during this period, a fact that will not be different during the upcoming midterm elections. The above paper will focus on the significance of the midterm elections to the country by explaining various aspects of the events.

As we are all aware, elections are all about making and changing the policies that affect the lives of people. Despite being under rated, midterm elections determine major policy and decision making at local and state levels. Major decisions such as infrastructure, criminal justice system, education among other major decisions are at the state level. In addition, decisions regarding zoning, occupational licensing, and control of most public services are done at local level. The midterm elections offer Americans the chance to have a say in these decisions. The decisions are far much important to Americans than anything the central government does. This is one of the reasons why the country should focus on educating the public on the importance of midterm elections to the general public.

But why is there low turnout then? Well, at both state and local levels, there is very low turnout for midterm elections, contrary to expectations, considering that midterm elections help in making important decisions at grassroots levels. The reason is mainly because, there is so little information regarding these elections, a factor contributed by media downplay on the exercise. However, individual voters are more influential at state and local levels than at national level. The low voter turnout is credited to the lack of proper information and awareness on the ground level. With regard to the media, there downplay is seen in the way they report the events. For example, most of their report focuses on the candidates, policies and the expectations of the events.

This coming November on Tuesday the 4th, hundreds of cities across the United States will be in polls to elect new mayors, new city councilmen, superintendents, comptrollers, and county executives, among other local leaders. Ultimately, midterm elections are very important, even though the media and political parties devote little time and resources towards them or in making us believe that the elections matter. Thus, while you are passionately tracking the national polls, take some time to learn more about what’s happening in midterm elections in your city. When one becomes involved in the midterm elections, they become more knowledgeable of the way the country is managed. In turn, this guides voters on the dynamics of the general elections.

Midterm elections provide people with a chance to oust underperforming public servants. Instead of waiting for the national polls, citizens are able to vote in new leaders who they believe will move them to the next level. Incumbent leaders are often entangled in political agendas that may not necessarily be helpful to the development of the cities or the people that they represent. Residents usually feel let down by these leaders and the midterm elections are a perfect opportunity to throw them out and have new leadership in place, without waiting for the presidential polls. This is a good practice considering that some of the public officials are known to take advantage of their positions once they are voted in. In fact, keen voters are known to wait for the midterm elections so that they can make a change in their community. This practice is encouraged because it advocates for economic, political, and social growth.

The history of midterm elections in the United States is quite interesting. In all except three of the elections, the incumbent government loses seats in the house and in the Senate. This shows that, people take this opportunity to put the government in check ahead of the presidential polls. This year, before the 2016 general elections, Americans will have to put their leaders into test through the midterm polls. It will be important for people to participate in these elections as it highly determines the future of their states, county and cities. The country is undergoing a number of changes some of which affect it negatively. The midterm elections give people a chance to solve those issues which in turn improve on the way in which politicians and voters relate.

What makes midterm elections this year special? Well there is nothing new in the current midterm elections. The democrats who are in leadership, just like in previous midterm elections will be faced by the task of defending their seats in the House and in the Senate. It will be their time to prove that, they can still make in 2016 while republicans will be trying very hard to see that they capture new seats in the House and Senate. As much as the battle appears political, people are more interested in making the right decision, giving chances to new people with fresh ideas and energy to move them to greater heights in terms of socio-economic development. Social-economic development is essential for the country right now because of the high rates of poverty and unemployment. The democrats have to prove their worth by explaining their progress form the time of their election into power.

Conclusively, regardless of the attention given to midterm elections by the media, political parties and even the people, they are very important in making paradigm shifts in the leadership of states and local jurisdictions. The upcoming midterm elections may be a defining moment for the 2016 elections, but the most important thing is the benefits that the locals gain from this opportunity. Unlike in national polls where priority is on the federal leadership, midterm elections focus on issues affecting people directly. It is therefore important for us to participate wholly in these elections, not as a way to challenge the incumbent government, but to make decisions for our cities, which may have long term influence. The low turnout of voters during midterm polls is a threat to democracy in the country since only a small portion of the populace is involved. This can be changed if the media and political parties give more attention and resources to these elections. Therefore, citizens have the responsibility on applying pressure on involved parties to improve on the services they offer the country as a whole.