The midterm elections are when voters can influence how our government manages funding for education, streets and highways, healthcare and small business support, as well as civil and voting rights protections, policing, safeguarding families, and many other issues. All of these governmental decisions can have major impacts on the lives of everyday people.
So, why is it that so many folks skip out on non-presidential elections?
And yes, if you’re reading this and forgot to turn in your primary ballot, you missed the boat. But, you’re not alone.
Political analysts have long pointed to several factors driving lower voter turnout in midterm and off-year elections, including less media attention, lower voter awareness, fewer high-profile campaigns, and of course, the absence of a presidential race to generate national buzz. Not to mention, many people are burnt out and apathetic.
Still, what’s at stake in these elections is nothing to ignore, and there is still time to lean in.
Midterm elections shape the makeup of the U.S. Congress, state leadership, and a wide range of local and statewide offices that directly affect daily life and can shift communities for generations. From housing policy to healthcare access and economic development, decisions made by the people elected in these off-year cycles are felt in neighborhoods across the state.
This November, Colorado voters will choose the state’s next governor, secretary of state, attorney general, U.S. senator, members of Congress, and numerous other state and local leaders. As Election Day draws closer, I spoke with the Honorable Elbra Wedgeworth, a former Denver City Councilmember and longtime Colorado political leader and advisor, about what she thinks is on the line.
“I think we should be very concerned,” Wedgeworth said. “A lot of things we thought were done, you know, in terms of civil rights, voting rights, they’re coming under attack again…Everything is on the table. So, we have to be ready to push back and fight back if we have to and need to.”
Her reflections echo a broader tension in modern politics, rooted in the stark realization that progress is not always permanent. Issues many believed were settled decades ago, including voting rights, are once again re-emerging in today’s policy debates.
Her call to action for voters, elected officials and community members alike is simple but urgent, “Be educated on the issues. Collaborate and coordinate, and work to protect our rights,” both “the ones we have now and the ones we should have, but don’t.”
And in Colorado where ballot participation is often higher than the national average, the voting system is designed to be accessible. Since 2013, Colorado has been a universal vote-by-mail state. In other words, ballots are automatically mailed to every active registered voter, with in-person voting options and 24-hour drop boxes available across the state. Voters can also sign up for the Colorado Secretary of State’s BallotTrax system, which sends email or text updates when a ballot is mailed, received and counted.
Even with that ease and accessibility, voter participation still fluctuates depending on the election cycle.
If rising costs, ongoing global conflict, and renewed attacks on the rights of people of color and other marginalized communities aren’t enough to motivate civic participation, it’s time to ask, “What will?”
Editor’s note: To register to vote, check your voter registration, preview your sample ballot, or find important election information, visit GoVoteColorado.gov.
