Why the midterm elections matter

Midterm elections don’t have the big personalities of presidential races, but they could have significant repercussions for the future of the country.

Presidential elections tend to dominate the political conversation. But every two years, voters head to the polls for another election that can have a major impact on the laws, policies and leaders who shape their daily lives.

According to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the last three presidential elections set records for the most total votes cast in U.S. history.

But the midterm elections typically draw a lower voter turnout. Digital political almanac Ballotpedia says fewer than half of registered voters participated in the 2022 midterm election, compared with 66.6% of eligible voters that cast ballots in the 2020 presidential election.

Towson University political science professor Joseph Dietrich says one reason for the difference is the “fun” factor of presidential elections. 

 “[With midterms,] there is no ‘national race,’” Dietrich says. “There is nothing that links every single person across the country in an opinion about this person or that person.

“But midterm elections, which focus more on local concern, are important. In fact, you could make an argument that they are more critically important.” 

How midterms affect the presidency

Each midterm, 435 representatives and roughly one-third of the 100-member U.S. Senate are elected.

Nearly 75% of states hold their gubernatorial elections in midterm years, with state legislative and other state, county and local contests also taking place during these cycles.

According to Dietrich, voters aren’t only electing officials. Midterm elections can also serve as a way for voters to express how they feel about the current federal administration’s policies, candidates and direction.

But midterm elections, which focus more on local concern, are important. In fact, you could make an argument that they are more critically important.

Joseph Dietrich

The 2026 midterm election provides a timely example of how these elections can shape the country's political direction — and give political parties a clearer picture of what voters want heading into 2028 presidential election.

“We’re going to have an unfilled presidency, a non-incumbent presidential race,” Dietrich says. “And if you like Donald Trump’s policies, [midterm voting] is a way of telling the Republican Party, ‘Keep going; this is what we want to hear.’

“If you have had enough of this as a conservative, how you vote in the midterms could say, ‘Hey, we’ve had enough of this.’”

For Democrats, he says, the election could help the party determine which candidates and policies resonate with voters.

“Democrats are trying to figure out what kind of candidate to support,” he explains. “Do [they] want more centrists? Do [they] want more progressives because progressives are having a moment in local elections, but they haven’t been able to bring it to a national stage.

“They want to figure out what translates to a national policy, and this midterm election is a great way of voters telling the Democratic Party what they want.”

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Staying in the know in election season 

With news stations ramping up coverage as Election Day approaches, Dietrich says viewers can use news networks such as Fox News and CNN to stay informed, but he recommends focusing on their news reports rather than political commentary.

When they introduce their panels of pundits, he says those discussions should be taken more as entertainment than news.

“I tell my students, ‘Pick a news source and just listen to the stories,’” Dietrich explains. “Don't listen to the pundits. Pundits…are never held accountable for anything they say. Their job is to make controversy not [share] facts.”

Dietrich says students should look to wire services such as The Associated Press for straightforward reporting, while websites such as Ground News and AllSides can help readers contextualize media bias.