All federal laws passed by the U.S. Congress directly impact us in our local communities. How our N.C. representatives and senators vote on issues such as fracking, Medicaid expansion, education, etc. , is critical.  

Every four years we vote for a U.S. President as well as for Congress and local officials.  Every two years the midterm elections are held that come near the middle of each president’s term. It is important to vote in this year’s midterm because it promises to have a large affect on the direction of the country.  

Why are midterm elections so important? Whoever controls the House and/or the Senate controls the direction of the country. The majority party determines who leads important congressional committees. A president’s ability to accomplish his or her agenda depends on whether their party controls the two houses of Congress. 

Most of the attention of midterm elections is focused 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 up for election during the midterms. Senators are elected to staggered six-year terms. A third of the 100 seats will be up for election in the 2022 midterm elections. North Carolina will be electing one U.S. senator this year for the position of Sen. Richard Burr, who is not running for re-election.  

This year’s midterms are critical for a few more reasons, according to political experts. For one, they serve as a thermometer that can forecast the temperature of the next presidential election. But more importantly, they could deliver both the Senate and House to the Republican Party. Currently, the Democrats have a razor-thin majority in the Senate because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to cast a tie-breaking vote. The House is also currently under Democratic control. The Democrats risk losing this majority unless they turn out for this election.     

Please vote in the upcoming primary election. Early voting started April 28 and goes through May 14. The primary election day is May 17. Be an informed voter. Don’t believe the negative ads you see on TV or what is mailed to you. If the person running for office is currently serving, check out their voting record. If they have not been in office, check out their platform and look at what they have done in their lives.  

Your vote is important in selecting our next senator and member of the House of Representatives as well as judges, as their actions affect all of our everyday lives. Regardless of what party you are or what candidates you support, please exercise your right to vote by absentee ballot, early voting or on the Primary Election Day May 17. Your future as well as the future of your children and grandchildren is at stake.  

Mary Herr 

Cherokee