Every two years, the United States holds major elections.
This November brings the midterm election, the halfway point of the election cycle, when Americans can make their opinions heard about how things are going across the nation.
It is extremely important to vote in every election, even if neither candidate appeals to you. If not, a candidate you hate could win instead of a candidate you only dislike.
If there are 10 people voting between free puppies for everybody and being forced to walk on Legos for the rest of their lives, and four people vote for the Legos, three people vote for the puppies and three people abstain from voting because they prefer cats, the walking-on-Legos option would win.
Those three people who abstained didn’t want to walk on Legos but now are stuck with it because they chose not to vote.
Iowa has several major races on the ballot in the 2026 election, including the governor’s race between Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn, the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson and the 1st Congressional District race between Democrat Christina Bohannan and Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks. The 2nd Congressional District race features Democrat Lindsay James and Republican Joe Mitchell, while several other statewide offices also are up for election this year.
It is important to do your own research on each candidate before election day to be as informed as possible on every option.
Political candidates aren’t the only options on the ballot, as there are often policies featured as well. One such policy is a proposed $88 million bond for Kirkwood Community College.
Thousands have fought and died for the right to vote in America over the last 250 years, so it’s our social responsibility to vote. The more people who vote, the stronger our democracy becomes.
To find information on your polling location, visit voterready.iowa.gov.
Categories: Opinion
