The midterm elections are coming around the corner, and two positions are open for the taking. The seat of Governor of Pennsylvania is open, as well as a seat in the Senate. Current governor Tom Wolf has reached his term limit as governor after serving since 2015. The seat in the senate open for election has been held by Pat Toomey, who is not seeking reelection due to personal reasons. This means that Pennsylvania can be the tipping point for either political party to take the Senate. 

The current race for Senate has largely been between the current Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, John Fetterman, and Television Personality Dr. Mehmet Oz. The main issues that voters are concerned with in the coming election are the state of the economy and rising inflation. Additionally, concerns over abortion access is a growing issue amongst younger voters according to a Pew research study. Worries of rising gun crime and gun violence have also risen, with about 62% of voters in that same study saying it is very important to them. The economy still is seen as most important to voters, with 77% of voters saying it is crucial to them.

Some issues are more coveted to one party than the other. A clear example of this is with healthcare, with 77% of Democrat voters listing it as “very important,” while only 43% of Republicans saying that they agree with that statement in the same Pew research study. An issue that both parties can agree on, however, is energy policy (the conflict between nonrenewable and renewable sources), with about 50% on boths sides saying it is an issue. It is something both parties want to learn more about and find solutions for, says the Pew research study.

What many people seem to agree on is the little influence the current president, Joe Biden, has on this election. As of the start of October, President Biden’s approval rating has been below 43%, with over 52% disapproving of his actions, according to the FiveThirtyEight website, which tracks the approval ratings of presidents since the days of Truman. This is further proven by Pew, as they state that “Among most demographic groups, more continue to disapprove than approve of Biden’s performance.” This means that current politics in Washington may not have a massive effect on the midterm elections, but that can only be confirmed when one of the candidates gets voted into office. 

The governor race has not been as center stage as the Senate race, but it is still worth talking about. The decline in concern with COVID-19 has made the position of governor less impactful, according to a CBS news poll. This is mostly because the governor is the person that can issue mask mandates and quarantines for schools, and as cases are dropping, this is becoming less and less of a major concern for the average citizen.

Now comes the part that you can do, as long as you are 18 or above. Register to vote! The vote of the average person can still have a lot of impact, and making sure you are registered is the first step to doing so. To register, visit your local post office or library; there will be forms you can ask for so you can register. If you don’t have the time to go to these places, going online and filling out a form to register works too. When registering, select a political party, so that you have the chance to vote in that party’s primary when presidential elections come around. The deadline to register is October 24th, and Election Day is November 8th. To register, use the link below, and happy voting!

https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx