Preparing for midterms: does one vote make a difference?

General midterms are on the horizon and Brigham Young University's Office of Civic Engagement is helping students understand the impact their vote can have.

On Wednesday, Sep. 9, the Office of Civic Engagement hosted an event focusing on voter registration and a statewide competition. This event, titled the Campus Cup, was aimed at encouraging students to become engaged within their communities.

What are the midterms?

Every four years, the United States has a Presidential election, and in the middle of each presidential term, the midterm elections take place. These elections occur throughout all U.S. states and territories and are run by the states.

The midterm elections impact how Congress is composedfrom who has seats within the Senate and the House of Representatives to which political party has greater influence.

Senate members serve for six-year terms; roughly one-third of those 100 seats will be on the ballot. Meanwhile, all 435 seats of the House will be up for election, since they serve two-year terms.

The Constitution is not built for one election to settle everything. It is built for institutions to compete, cooperate, and restrain each other," U.S. Constitution.net said. "Midterms are one of the main ways voters rewire that balance without changing the presidency.

How is the Campus Cup preparing students for the midterms?

The statewide voter registration challenge is sponsored by the Utah Lieutenant Governors office and gives students the opportunity to become more active in their communities through various challenges, from taking a picture of a beehive to collaborating with a campus office by turning in their voter registration forms.

While the primary intention of the event is voter registration, Courtney Rockwood, voter registration specialist for the BYU Office of Civic Engagement, said there is more to the challenge than simple competition.

They add a lot of points just for participation in your community, Rockwood said. I think that's really what the governor's looking forthat students really feel like they are one with Utah.

Even with this in mind, people may hesitate to get involved or vote when the environment feels hostile or unwelcoming.

"Because we have the gospel and because we know that we should be peacemakers, we actually need to be stepping into these spaces that are sometimes a little bit charged," Lydia Wheatley, a student at the event said. "We need to be there to help bring peace."

Does one vote make a difference?

During the Office of Civic Engagements presentation, they shared that BYU has a 10.2% voter participation rate despite having 37,000 students on campus each day.

Statistically, we're a huge part of Provo, Rockwood said. In church lingo, unpack your bags. You're here to be an influential part and to be civically engaged wherever you are and however long that is. So your voice really does matter.

According to Richard Witmer, PhD, a political scientist at Creighton University, while presidential elections draw about 60% of eligible voters, midterm turnout has historically been closer to 45%."

He explained that an individual vote in the midterms carries more weight.

The Civic Engagement Office can help guide students through the registration process even if you are trying to register out of state.

One cast of a ballot might seem small, but it carries impact. Each ballot determines who leads the country, who protects it and who makes decisions on each individual's behalf.

"It is so easy to get burdened with the idea that nothing really matters. But that is so far from the truth," Eliza Taylor, a member of the Civil Engagement Leadership Council, said. "We have power, and a lot of that power comes in voting."

Being civically engaged goes beyond voting, but realizing the power you have as a member of the community. This is what the Campus Cup wants to achieve.

"On a deeper level," Taylor said, "the real purpose behind it comes back to thatgiving students power. Even just recognition that they can do something."