Written by Russ Gray and Sarah Kyle
Midterm elections will occur Nov. 2, 2010, nationwide to elect members to Congress.The midterm elections are held during the second year of a presidential term to elect members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate into repeating terms or to elect new officials.Harding Associate Professor of Political Science Steven Breezeel said that it is important that students remember to take an active role in determining our nation’s future leaders.”The policies made in Washington, in our state legislatures and in our country and city governments are made by people that we chose,” Breezeel said. “This makes it extremely important that we participate in the process of selecting our elected officials and holding them accountable for their actions.”While the legislative decisions made in Washington may not immediately affect students, Breezeel said it is the elected officials who will have a direct impact on some of the most basic parts of life.”The people we elect to serve on city councils, in county governments, in state legislatures and in Congress will be making decisions about the roads we drive on, the operation of our school systems, the taxes we pay, the type of police and fire protection we will have and many other things,” Breezeel said.But with many Harding students from other states, how can they participate? Breezeel said many states have simplified the process for absentee voting, as long as students remember to do so in advance.”While this process may be an inconvenience, it doesn’t compare to the inconveniences that can be caused by a government that is not held accountable by its citizens,” Breezeel said.Each state has different requirements on how to apply and register for an absentee ballot. For more details on what your home state requires for you to vote in the midterm elections, visithttp://thepoliticizer.com/midterms-guide/for details and links to each state’s website to find instructions on how to register.Those who do not want to use an absentee ballot also have the option to register and vote in Arkansas.To register as a voter in Arkansas, students can use their campus mailbox number and campus address as their residence when registering.
