Election Day is fast approaching. As with every election cycle, voter turnout is a major concern for Republican and Democratic candidates alike. Midterm elections pose an even greater challenge, as turnout is historically lower.
The voting trends over the past 10 years are a testament to that difficulty. Turnout in 2004, the year in which George W. Bush was elected to his second term in office, was 55.3 percent; two years later, it dropped more than 18 points, to 37.1 percent.
President Barack Obama’s election in 2008 was driven in large part by a turnout of 56.8 percent, a level that dropped nearly 20 points in the 2010 midterm. That went back up to 53.6 percent with the presidential elections 2012. The question now is, will this November’s turnout go lower than that in 2010?
I am asking each of you to make sure that does not happen, and I urge you to get out and vote on Nov. 4. At every level of government, whether for county auditor or U.S. senator, voter participation is crucial. It’s the best mechanism you have to make your voice heard and influence the direction of your town, city, state, and country.
Looking specifically at what is happening here in Washington, turnout will be crucial again in determining which party starts the next session of Congress with control of the House and Senate. Recent national polls and election trends indicate Republicans are likely to gain seats in both houses of Congress. At present, they are just six seats away from taking the majority in the Senate, and competitive races in a dozen states could provide the margin needed for control in that chamber. In the House, Democrats would need to win an additional 17 seats in order to take control. In both instances, Democrats appear to be facing a tougher battle, as many of their candidates are in states and districts currently leaning Republican.
But in every election, there is a wildcard factor. The Cook Report, a leading political and election newsletter, recently published an article focused on two key areas on which success in the November elections, and thus control of the U.S. Congress, could hinge. First, ongoing voter dissatisfaction with Obama and his policies, chiefly the Affordable Care Act (ACA), could increase Republicans’ chances of seizing the majority in the Senate and keeping control of the House. On the other side of the spectrum, the Republican Party’s ongoing difficulties with key voting blocs, including women and minorities, could provide momentum for Democrats to retain control of the Senate and take the majority in the House.
Without question, the results of this year’s election will have a significant and direct impact on several policy issues important to hoteliers across the country. Current partisan differences in Congress were a major obstacle to passage of legislation that mattered to AH&LA and our members, including immigration reform, extension of the terrorism risk insurance program (TRIA), legislation to stop the frivolous lawsuits brought before hoteliers by patent trolls, and changes in key provisions of the ACA, including a revision of the full-time employee definition. It is imperative that we do all we can to ensure that the next session of Congress takes up these important issues that affect how you do business day in and day out, and the way we do that is by electing candidates and reelecting members who support our industry.
Voter education is crucial to making informed choices on Election Day, and AH&LA urges hoteliers everywhere to learn the positions of candidates from your state on the issues that matter to your business and bottom line. Our government affairs team has all the information you need to determine which candidates have been champions of our industry and which have failed to support our positions.
You can find out more on what issues are important and why they matter to the future ability of lodging to continue growing, creating jobs, and bringing visitors to your property’s front door. And you can learn what you can do to get more involved at the grassroots level to impact the creation of federal policies favorable to lodging.
Voting is the first step in the legislative process. It all begins with you and one vote. Be sure to make it count on Nov. 4 and support those candidates who will help us keep our industry strong.
And join us post-election for an AH&LA members-only webinar to discuss the outcome of the mid-term election, its impact on the association’s legislative agenda for the next session of Congress, and what it means for you and your business.
Vanessa Sinders is AH&LA’s senior vice president of government affairs; ahla.com.
