After months of political ads, early voting sites in all of Chicago's wards opened on October 24, and the gubernatorial race and other midterm elections are finally coming to fruition with election day on November 8.
With Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey challenging incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, this race has seen its fair share of attacks from the start. With the former’s focus on a supposed “soft on crime” approach from the Pritzker governorship and the latter’s highlighting Bailey’s “tough on abortion” statements.
The governorship is not the only race on the ballot, however. Veteran U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat, is up for reelection, facing Republican lawyer Kathy Salvi, the winner of the Republican Party’s seven-candidate primary. One difference between Sen. Duckworth's and Ms. Salvi’s campaigns is their different stances on gun control. Sen. Duckworth supports reinstituting the National Assault Weapons Ban, meanwhile, Ms. Salvi has made it clear that she will fight for no new regulations surrounding firearms to be implemented at any level, state or federal.
There is also the Workers’ Rights Amendment on the ballot this year, which would add an amendment to the state’s constitution guaranteeing the right to unionize for all workers, regardless of their sector, as well as ban future Illinois politicians from making Illinois a “right-to-work” state.
While oftentimes midterm elections are brushed away as something not worth caring about since they pale in comparison to the visibility of electing the president, they are arguably more important. This is because which party has control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate actually determines what can and cannot get passed and become law. If a certain party has control of the presidency, but neither or only one of Congress’s chambers, then the difference in control can gridlock the federal government.
To understand more about how the student body feels regarding the gubernatorial and midterm election, The Wright Times sat down with three Wright College students, as well as one faculty member.
Are there any political issues that you are particularly passionate about?
Elizabeth L, a 3rd year Wright student said, “Preserving bodily autonomy for women, like with the whole Roe v. Wade thing obviously. I also feel that we need to hold cops and other forms of law enforcement more accountable when they mess up, and children should not fear getting gunned down inside their own classrooms, so gun control too.”
Ashley J, a 2nd year Wright student said, “Taking on pharmaceutical companies is very important to me. I think there needs to be a crackdown on the overprescribing of narcotics, like the rise of the opioid crisis is directly linked towards that. You don’t have to be at risk but once you start that cycle of dependence you can’t stop. Multiple members of my immediate family have been hooked on painkillers and prescription sleeping pills and have developed serious addictions. These people aren’t even at risk but have become addicted by simply taking their prescribed medication.”
Eddie J, a 2nd year Wright student said, “Now that Roe v. Wade is overturned, I’m concerned that the right to choose could be taken away. Gun control as well. Those two issues in particular.”
For the following two questions, I also interviewed professor Bridget Roche, a member of Wright’s English Department.
Despite how many large issues there are this midterm election (including possible codification of Roe v. Wade into law, national assault weapons ban, banning of “Critical Race Theory”), only 36% of young Americans (aged 18-29) say they will definitely vote in this midterm election. Does this surprise you and how does it make you feel?
Elizabeth L: “I feel like there is not going to be any change if we don’t vote. We are the next generation of people.”
Ashley J: “It bothers me. I think we’re pretty privileged to be able to vote in this country, whether or not people believe that; like we have the option to vote, take advantage of it. I mean as long as you’re 18 and have the privilege to vote I think it is ridiculous not to, given how many people across the world don’t have a voice in their government. We at least sort of have a say in how our politics and government is run.”
Eddie J: “It’s not surprising that less young people are voting. Number 1: politics now suck. Trump muddied the water of honesty and now it’s just a lot of insults being thrown. After Trump won, a lot of people don’t value the vote they have because nearly 3 million voted for Hillary over Trump.”
Prof. Roche responded, “It makes me feel very worried because I think the most essential vote right now is that younger voter. They matter the most and they’re gonna be our future leaders so it makes me very worried to hear that, but not surprised. Generally, it’s always historically been more difficult to get young people out to vote, especially when it’s a midterm [election] as it doesn’t have the big cache of being a presidential year. I think young people aren’t interested in the midterm elections because they don’t know who the candidates are, and they may view it as something older people do and worry about. That worries me because they should not want older people making decisions about their future. On the other hand, younger people can often be the ones who are more enthusiastically involved in protests, social justice, etc., so them not showing up to polls but then being the most willing to ‘be in the fight’, those things don’t really match up. So, I do wonder about that.”
What does voting mean to you?
Eddie J: “Voting is a way to illustrate me wanting my own candidate to win and show what we, as a nation, value. Typically the person who wins the popular vote gets the position they want.”
Prof. Roche: “It’s sacred, right? It means democracy, it means I matter, it means my voice matters, and it means I have a say”.
Although we all vote for different reasons, what is important is that you do. As Ashley aptly put it, we are incredibly privileged to have a say in our governmental system. Despite all of the gripes and valid criticisms one may have about our elections, whether it be regarding the Electoral College or a lack of inspiring candidates, the key takeaway is that we have a say to begin with. The older generations are terrified of us, and they want you to stay home. Do not give them that satisfaction. We are in the driver's seat of this nation, and where the steering wheel gets turned is up to us. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Socialist, etc., I have two words for you. Go vote.
If you are not registered to vote yet, do not worry. Although online registration has unfortunately closed, all Illinois residents can register and vote in person on the same day, just bring two forms of identification, one of which must contain an address.
For a list of voting locations, click here to find a location near you.
For a full list of candidates, click here to see a sample ballot based on your address.
Information on specific candidates can be found on their campaign websites. Click here for Gov. Pritzker's website and here for Bailey's.
The Staff of The Wright Times encourages our readers to go out and vote.
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