U.S. Celebs Are Encouraging People to Vote on Social Media—What Elections Are Happening Right Now?

What's happening in America?

America might be on the other side of the planet, but their culture and politics influence our lives and news feeds daily.

Today you may have noticed an abundance of U.S. celebrities posting about voting. Selena Gomez, Hailey Bieber, Meghan Markle and Lin Manuel Miranda are just a handful.

But Down Under, we haven’t heard much about this in the days prior. So, what’s going on?

The U.S. has two major elections: mid-terms and presidential.

You probably remember the 2020 presidential elections.

Shortly after Joe Biden was elected, ousting ex-President Donald Trump, riots broke out at the Capitol building after false claims spread that the election was ‘rigged’. It was a huge thing.

Biden secured a four-year presidency, and now—two years in—it’s time for the ‘midterm elections’.

This covers voting for representatives in Congress, including every member of the House of Representatives and about a third of the Senate.

Quick explainer: the President and Congress are two separate entities. Joe Biden is a ‘Democrat’, with generally centre-left policies. He has major leverage but needs to negotiate with whatever party has the majority in Congress.

Currently, the Democrats also hold power in Congress. But Republicans—the right-leaning party in America—only need five seats in the lower House and one seat in the Senate to take control.

This election will determine that.

Why is this election important?

Sure, this election doesn’t sound as grand as electing a President to be head of the United States of America.

But the results will have huge implications for the future of American politics.

Remember how we were just talking about the Capitol riots? If Republicans take hold of Congress because of these midterm election results, lots of those candidates are Donald Trump supporters—and they’ll continue to swear by the conspiracy that the election was ‘stolen’.

If this happens, a Republican-controlled Congress against Biden could completely alter the 2024 presidential vote. And guess what—Trump has expressed he’s likely to run again. So that would directly benefit him.

This election also concerns state legislatures, which impact issues including access to abortion, gun control measures and legislation of marijuana for recreational use.

What’s likely to happen?

The US cost of living is currently at a 40-year-high. Inflation has been driven by factors such as the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. So, in short—American citizens aren’t happy.

This could lead to votes for Republican candidates, who have been heavily criticising Joe Biden’s policies.

The votes in the midterm elections are therefore extremely influential. Celebrities, influencers and media personalities alike are encouraging Americans to vote because it’s not compulsory in the U.S., unlike here in Australia.

The results may not be in until later in the week. Only time will tell.