About two years ago, the world watched Mitt Romney and Barack Obama battle for the presidency. Almost $2 billion was spent on the election of 2012. This money helped bring millions of Americans to the polls, yet only 57.5 percent of eligible voters cast their ballot.
This statistic is alarming, since barely half of the electorate participated in a presidential election. Thankfully, the state of Idaho did better than national average with 60 percent of Idahoans wingvoting on Election Day. Voter turnout was down in 2012 and a low number of voters should be cause for concern. The 60 percent turnout for the presidential election would be a massive improvement for a midterm election in Idaho. In 2010, only 40% of Idahoans voted.
Let it sink in that less than half of the eligible voters in the state participated. During midterm elections, a multitude of local officials are chosen along with Idaho senators and representatives. Every single election in Idaho could have potentially ended differently, and midterm elections are not something to disregard. along with Idaho state senators and representatives.
Those are not the only positions at stake though, House Representatives are up for re-election every two years and Senators are up every six. A whole new congressional delegation could be chosen, and less than half of Idahoans affect that decision. Not to mention referendums and other voter initiatives that go to the ballot box during the mid-term elections.
The apathy shown for midterm elections and state level politics is a detriment to our political process.
Big decisions are made at the state level, and indifference for those decisions is the same as voting for the opposition.
Regardless of political ideology or worldview, if you do not vote, you are working against your own goals. In the 2006 midterm election, 63 percent of Idaho voters approved a referendum that made it unconstitutional for the state to recognize gay marriage. That same election put Tom Luna, author of the proposed and highly controversial Idaho education reforms, in office. Midterm elections put Gov. Butch Otter and the legislative body, who have continually cut education funding, into office. These are all issues that directly impact the lives of Idahoans. These issues can change communities and lives.
Public policy reaches citizens much faster on a state level than a national one, which is why it is imperative to be involved and informed when it comes to state and local politics, that heavily rely on midterm elections.
Apathy about the issues in the voting booth is bad for everybody. It is bad for your neighbor, your school, and yourself. So please, take the time to inform yourself, register to vote and submit a ballot on Nov. 4., Idaho will be a better place because of it.
Justin Ackerman
can be reached at