Jace Dunlap

Editor-In-Chief

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On Oct. 17, voices broke through the fall morning air near NMC’s quiet campus. The sounds echoed through the pine trees from the Civic Center; a pop-up stage had been constructed, loudspeakers mounted on either side. From 11am to 4pm activists, speakers, and midterm candidates took center stage, rallying the crowd in their support. 

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“No Kings 4: Vote Early” was organized by Traverse Indivisible. According to their website, the group “works to build community, preserve democracy, and create a responsive, accountable government for all.” 

 

Politicians Rally In Traverse City

With midterm elections looming on Nov. 3, tensions are heightening for candidates. Congressional candidate Callie Barr and state Representative Betsy Coffia, both Democrats, attended the event on Oct. 17. They spent their time on stage speaking directly to the crowd, asking them to vote early, canvas for their campaigns, and recruit people they know.

 

Events and rallies such as this one are not foreign to Traverse City. The city has seen various other No Kings protests, events in support of President Trump and J.D. Vance two years ago during presidential elections, and in 2026 one for Abdul El-Sayed in the State Theater.

 

For candidates, events like these give them the opportunity to directly connect with voters instead of solely relying on advertisements and canvassers. Having a more active tone with the audience can serve as a tool to recruit them to the candidates' cause.

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The presence of political events in the area reflects how national and state-level issues affect our community. Although national races are likely to get more attention, bringing state issues into our community puts things into a perspective where we can see these elections affect all of us. 

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Candy Crowley, previous CNN chief political correspondent and host of “State of the Union with Candy Crowley”, told the White Pine Press “We have to look at [candidates] as individuals as opposed to [a part of] parties”.

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Looking at the human behind the campaign humanizes their message, when we can look at a candidate and see them as someone who is a part of our community or is in our corner, we may feel more inclined to vote in their favor. 

 

Is the Stress Worth It?

 With political tensions getting close to home, it's normal to feel stress leading up to midterms. Gallup’s poll going into the 2026 midterms, found that around 75% of voters were feeling some sort of stress from a variety of factors. These ranged from concerns about ballots not being counted correctly to not having the information voters needed to make a well-informed decision. 

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“No matter who the candidates are, find two things that are really important to you… find two issues you and that candidate agree, because you are never ever going to find a candidate that is going to agree with you on everything,” Crowley said prior to a private fundraiser for NMC’s International Affairs Fourm.

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Voters in these positions can often feel as though they are voting for the lesser of two evils. But reducing large elections in a more manageable way can make voters feel less overwhelmed, and more likely to know what they want out of their vote. 

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Many younger voters who may be voting for the first time this midterm, or have little experience with politics, often feel these stressors as well. They may feel uninspired by who is currently in office, or that their vote won't make a difference. 

 

Every Vote Holds Value

But that may not be the case, Coffia and Barr both stated in their speeches that it is important for voters to use their rights to advocate and speak out for what is right. Barr said “It is so important to know that we can make change, and that our vote, right now, is how we do that”.

 

According to Barr, in some corporate spheres they have begun to monetize the value of a vote. “What [that] meant to me was that your vote was so important that it still holds power, that they have to account for that,” she said.

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Regardless of who wins the midterms it is important for citizens to keep in mind that your vote does count. Civic participation is the framework for democracy, and having discussions about the issues Americans face today is what makes us stronger for what is to come in the future.