Every even year, there is an election to select members of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Midterm elections take place two years into a president’s term. The 435 members of the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms, so all are up for re-election. This differs from the 100 US Senators, who are elected for six-year terms. 34 of them will be selected in this election. Only a third of the Senate can be reelected because elections for Senators are staggered over even years.

“Government is going to be there regardless. The question is: Do you want to be worked by it, or do you want it to work for you?” government teacher Michael Crotty said. “You have the opportunity to elect people who have a direct impact on your life. If you care about what happens to your money, your body, your social norms, and the future of this world, then you should be involved in the process.”