Why is voting important is the question guiding many Americans as early voting opens for the 2026 midterm elections and Election Day approaches on Tuesday, Nov. 3. All 435 House seats are on the ballot. Voters in 35 states will choose senators, 36 states will decide governor’s races, and more than 150 ballot measures are set across 40 states. The choices will influence policy on the Iran War, AI regulation, and other national and local priorities.
Midterms typically attract fewer voters than presidential contests, even though they can be “arguably more opportune moments for voters to get what they want,” according to Columbia University political scientist Donald Green, because small shifts in turnout can yield large policy changes. Some voters say participation is a civic duty. “If there’s something you’re not happy with, go out and vote. Do your part to change it,” said Brody Saner, a college student in Kansas.
Why is voting important in general?
Many voters describe the ballot as a voice in how communities are governed. At the federal level, control of the House and Senate will determine whether Congress checks or supports presidential power during the final two years of Donald Trump’s presidency. Down the ballot, local officials shape taxes, health care costs, school funding, and local courts.
Yet a recent CBS News/YouGov poll found many voters doubt that either party has a plan to improve their circumstances. Some, like Kansas farmer Mandy Sieren, are considering sitting out. “I just don’t trust anybody at this point enough to vote for them,” she said. Green counters that even when both parties leave voters dissatisfied, choices among individual candidates still matter, and voters should make an informed decision.
Why does your vote in midterm elections matter?
Turnout is lower in midterms. In 2022, about 46% of eligible voters cast ballots, compared with 65% in the 2024 presidential election. A smaller electorate increases the impact of each vote. Close races are common. In 2022, Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert kept her Colorado seat by 546 votes. In 2024, Democrat Adam Gray won California’s 13th Congressional District by 187 votes. In 2020, Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks won an Iowa House seat by six votes. Analysts expect similarly tight contests this year.
Green also notes that participation by groups matters. Politicians closely track who votes at high rates. That is one reason candidates often focus on older voters, who turn out more consistently, while issues important to younger and lower-income voters can receive less attention when those groups participate less.
How could votes in the 2026 midterm elections impact our country?
Midterms often shift the direction in Washington and serve as a check on the president. The president’s party has lost seats in 37 of the past 41 midterm elections. Control of both chambers is at stake this year. In the House, Republicans hold a narrow majority and Democrats need a net gain of three seats to take control. In the Senate, Democrats need a net gain of four seats to flip the chamber. The majority in Congress will help decide questions such as additional funding for the Iran War and whether AI regulation advances, among many other legislative items.
More than 30 states will elect governors, including competitive races from Georgia to Ohio. Governors wield significant influence over the data center buildout through moratorium decisions, tax incentives, and appointments of utility regulators. Voters in 13 states will also weigh 41 ballot initiatives related to data centers.
For some, the act of voting is rooted in personal and historical experience. In New York City, poll worker Sandra Strother said her uncle was killed while trying to vote in Alabama in the 1950s because he was an African American. “That’s my great motivator,” she said, explaining why she votes and helps others do the same.