The 2022 elections are swiftly approaching and people always ask, “why are small elections important?” In the 2022 midterm elections, the balance of power in multiple divisions is on the line.

On Nov. 8, Americans from all across the country will vote for positions including governor, representative and senator. Every even election year Americans vote for their representatives and in this election, there are 34 Senate seats and 438 seats in The House of Representatives up for election.

The midterms are often a referendum on the party that holds the presidency, urging the opposing political party to invest a lot of time and resources into them. The results from the midterms can give Americans an idea as to what side the country will shift toward in the following election.

The control of the house and senate are very close. Democrats hold 220 seats in 117th Congress and the Republicans hold 212. In the Senate, there is a 50 democratic and 50 republican split. Democrats hold the edge currently due to U.S Vice President, Kamala Harris, breaking a tie.

Since the balance of power in congress is tight this makes the midterm elections even more critical to both parties because whoever wins the house and senate will control the legislative agenda, which will affect Joe Biden’s Presidency.

Many important issues are headlining this election cycle including abortion rights, crime, the economy, inflation, immigration and social security.

According to Forbes, inflation was at a 40-year high of 9.1% in June. Voters are worried about their financial state due to rising costs.

The right to have an abortion could also be affected by this election cycle. On June 24, the Supreme Court overturned the landmark case of Roe vs. Wade. This case being overturned gives states the ability to make their own laws regarding abortion.

Many state-elected positions are being voted for Tuesday, including governors, state attorney generals, state representatives and senators.

Those elected officials will have the authority to create abortion laws in their states, although, if Democrats win the house and senate President Biden said Roe v. Wade will be codified into law.

At the local level, the city council, mayor, local judges and school board positions are being voted on this election cycle. The policies made from these positions can affect local communities.

School board positions and the policies they implement can affect children and their education. One of the issues made by school boards is the school tax. Families’ financial state can be altered due to a higher tax from the local school district.

Families want the best for their children so they can be successful. School boards make educational policies for their districts and the right educational policies can be vital to a child’s success.

On a national, state and local level… small elections matter. The results from them can impact the United States for decades to come.