In 1970, Congress added a provision to the Voting Act of 1965 extending the right to vote to those aged 18 years and older, but this demographic has subsequently been the least likely to vote. In 2006, polls show that state and local elections are far less popular than federal ones. Therefore, the already-low young-adult turnout rate is especially so in a midterm election. Because of this, it is crucial that we take initiative and vote on Nov. 7, whether in person or by absentee ballot.What differentiates this election from previous ones is that this year, the nation is focused on the power of political parties. With recent Republican scandals, the Democrats are receiving a new level of popularity and could have a result similar to the 1994 Republican upset. If the outcome of state elections ends up preserving the current majority party's reign in both houses, there is fear that the Republicans won't change much. On the other hand, if Democrats win a majority in the Senate, some fear they will change too much. The nation may not know what it wants, but it knows who it doesn't want running it-anyone with a last name of "Bush."

College students are just as much part of this nation as adults. Issues pertinent to college students, however, have been given very little attention during this campaign cycle. Unless they have started families, poor health coverage, disabilities or a strong stance on foreign policy, there's no real way to target Brandeis students besides having them realize that these elections require our voices and votes to be heard, instead of letting the "grown ups" decide.

There are two state-wide contests that are particularly important. One is the race for U.S. Senator, between Democratic incumbent Ted Kennedy and Republican challenger Ken Chase. The senator, who has been in office for 44 years, stands on reforming homeland security and foreign relations by pulling out of Iraq, believes in making jobs and the economy a main priority and supports protecting the environment. Chase, however, decries Kennedy's 44-year term, stating that he has "done nothing to liberate us from Middle Eastern oil. ... turned a blind eye to 16 million illegal aliens sneaking across the border .. and lost the war [on poverty]." Chase opposes the immigration amnesty bill proposed by Democrats, and advocates for a "wake-up" from 44 years of poor energy, security, education and immigration issues. What this means to students at Brandeis is that the Senate race could signal a monumental change. The voters must decide whether lengthening Kennedy's reign is worth it, or if they can give a chance to a candidate who promises change.

The candidates in the other important election, for Massachusetts' governor, are Democrat Deval Patrick and Republican Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey. With a campaign theme of "Together We Can," Patrick is leading an extraordinary effort to present himself as "no ordinary leader." He stands very strong, with original ideas on disability issues, the economy, the environment, health care and education. Healey has served as Lieutenant Governor alongside Governor Mitt Romney for the past four years. Healey is running on a platform of making the streets safer by, for instance, posting addresses and photographs of "Level two" sex offenders on the Internet. Healey promises to roll back the state income tax to 5 percent, as the public voted to do in the 2000 elections. Along with a 50-point plan stated on her Web site, Healey is geared toward bettering health care, the economy, education and an intriguing, free "cell phone" parking lot at Logan Airport that would ease congestion and enhance security.

Midterm elections are just as important as presidential-year ones because, as we've seen in this president's reign, the character of policy responses to prevailing issues depend on who our public officials are. If you have not exercised your right to vote yet, let this be the year to start. If you haven't registered yet, the final date for registry is Oct. 18, so hustle to it!