Midterms: Higher-than-usual turnout expected

More than 30 million Americans have already voted in the midterm elections, which are expected to see unusually high voter turnout across the country. Midterms usually garner lower turnout than presidential election years, but this year might prove to be an exception, as voters use their ballots to voice approval or disapproval of President Donald Trump and his policies. A poll from ABC News and The Washington Post released Sunday reported that 80 percent of registered voters said they were “certain to vote” or had voted already, compared to 65 percent in 2014 and 71 percent in 2010, the last two midterm elections, at the same point in the campaigning.

Democrats are banking on high turnout among women and young adults to gain seats in the House of Representatives. The latter group might be especially important since a majority of 18- to 29-year-old voters lean liberal, disapprove of Trump’s presidency, and want a Democratic-controlled Congress, according to a Harvard University study. But a majority of young people also did not consider themselves “politically engaged or politically active,” and whether the encouragement of celebrities like Taylor Swift and others is enough to push those reluctant voters to the polls remains to be seen.

Of course, it’s impossible to say what will happen until the polls close Tuesday night. Severe weather in Southern states is adding another layer of uncertainty. About 11,000 residents from Louisiana to South Carolina lost electricity after a series of storms Monday night and Tuesday morning, which could affect turnout in those states.