U.S. midterms: How to prepare

By Katie Dusza, Managing Editor

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections are three weeks away and will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Nationally, voters will elect members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. All 435 members of the House will be up for election as well as 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate. In New York State, Governor, Attorney General and Controller are up for election, as well as state representatives. 

There is a notion that voting in midterms is less important than participating in a presidential election. However, voting for state and local governments is in some ways more individually important because decisions made by these politicians more closely impact voters. 

Voter participation is essential to upholding democracy. It’s especially important for students to vote because our votes shape the world we step into after we graduate. 

If you live on campus and are away from your polling place, you can request an absentee ballot. This may vary depending on which state you’re registered to vote in, but in New York, you can apply for an absentee ballot online at elections.ny.gov or you can print out an application from the website and mail it in. You can also apply for an absentee ballot in person at the Erie County Board of Elections located downtown. 

When you receive the absentee ballot and fill it out according to who you would like to vote for, then you can mail it to the board of elections in a prepaid return envelope that comes with the ballot. If you plan on returning the ballot by mail, make sure it receives a postmark no later than Nov. 3 as the ballot must be received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 10. The United States Postal Services (USPS) recommends that voters send the ballots to the Board about seven days before the election to ensure it makes it on time.