As the primary voting for the midterm elections approaches, the vitality of the 2022 election year cannot be understated. There are crucial decisions that lie in the trajectory of this election, and there is only one group that can control it: active voters. 

One local organization working diligently to ensure the quality and quantity of votes within the Coastal Band is the League of Women Voters of Corpus Christi. According to their website, the organization prides itself on being “a nonpartisan, grassroots civic organization that encourages informed and active participation in government.” Local organizations such as the League of Women Voters are vital to helping citizens become voters and voters become educated in Corpus Christi and beyond.

Corpus Christi and Nueces County have imperative races at the local level, which will be determined through the midterms. This includes the city’s mayoral election, district and county judges, district and county clerks, and justice of the peace. Additionally, Corpus Christi’s state representative is up for re-election.

The midterm electoral race with the most buzz in Texas this year is the race for governor. Within the race for governor, there are five Democratic candidates, including Democratic front runner Beto O’Rourke, and eight Republican candidates, including the incumbent, Greg Abbott, two independent candidates, one Green candidate, and two Libertarian candidates. The race for governor will more than likely see a runoff. Other notable offices up for re-election at the state level include the lieutenant governor, attorney general, agricultural commissioner, land commissioner, comptroller, and railroad commissioner.

Although the nationwide impact of midterms gets overlooked, they are incredibly vital to its future. Midterms are critical to the core of democracy in the United States, as this is when all seats in the House of Representatives are up for re-election, and over 30 Senate spots are chosen.

According to the US Embassy’s website, “the majority party determines who leads important congressional committees. A president’s ability to accomplish his agenda has everything to do with whether his party controls the two houses of Congress.”

Essentially, midterm elections determine who has the majority rule for polarizing issues such as healthcare, immigration, education, gun control, abortion rights, climate change, voting rights, and more on the state level and beyond.

Although looking at a calendar for election years can be daunting and overwhelming, a handful of dates are the most prevalent to the typical voter. The highlights from the timeline of the 2022 midterm elections are as follows:

• February 14: The first day to vote early in person for primaries.
• February 18: The last day to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot for primaries.
• February 25: The last day to vote early in person for primaries.
• March 1: The primary election day and the cut-off for vote-by-mail receipts. 
• May 24: In the case of runoff elections, they will take place on May 24 within Texas. A runoff acts as a round of voting between the top two finishers in a primary election if neither candidate receives the majority vote.
• October 10: This serves as the last day to register to vote for the midterm election.
• November 8: The midterm election will take place on this day. 

However, casting a vote means little to nothing if it is not educated and calculated. The most vital role we play as voters is doing the research and, through what we learn, voting for who we think is best for the greater good of our community, state, nation, and beyond.

To get in contact with the League of Women Voters in Corpus Christi for more information about midterm voting, please visit https://lwv-cctx.clubexpress.com/, their national website https://www.vote411.org/, or call them at (361) 445-4436.

For a full list of the offices up for election in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, and the surrounding areas, please visit https://www.caller.com/story/news/local/2022/01/22/texas-elections-2022-primary-voting-nueces-san-patricio-aransas-kleberg-county/6594368001/.