By Charlotte H.

The midterm elections will define what laws will be passed in the future until the next election. Right now, President Joe Biden and the Democrats are in control of the US Congress. This midterm, that could change because Republicans could win enough votes to take control.

If the Democrats win this election, here are some things that they say they are going to do. First of all, the Supreme Court took down Roe v. Wade and so now women's right to an abortion is determined at the state-level, which the Democrats do not want. The Democrats want all women to have the right to an abortion; so if they won control in this election, they would try to pass laws ensuring the right to an abortion no matter what the state. They also say that if they win this election, they want to stop gun violence. They would pass laws so dangerous people couldn't get guns legally.

There are ballot initiatives in five states about women’s health care choices. Also, voters in five states get to decide how prisoners are treated. Some Democrats want laws so that prisoners are paid wages for working.

Democrats may lose control because midterm elections don’t usually go well for the party in power. Also Democrats haven’t been stopping prices from going up. That’s called inflation, and voters are not feeling good about it.

If the Republicans win the election, they say they are going to help stop crime, lower inflation, and stop illegal immigration. Laws they may pass might cut spending to try to lessen the federal debt. This could include reducing spending on helping Ukraine fight Russia. They could support laws that would ban trans women from competing in "women's" sports. Lastly, the Republicans could try to make a national ban on all abortions no matter what state you live in. 

People all over the US have different perspectives on these issues and what to do about them. People should go out and vote because every vote counts. If more people vote then our government will make better decisions based on more people’s opinions.

Sources: NPR and Newsela