b'S T R A T E G Y A featured segment designed to help you in the realm of retail seed sales. Offseason Elections Keep Friendly Faces Around for AgricultureWhy should the seed sector be voting in Midterm elections? It matters for who represents the industry in office.Alex MartinEVEN IF YOUdont keep up with politics, Americans know that every two years is an election yearbut depending on the year, you could face a presidential election or midterm elec-tions. Typically, though, voter turnout takes a steep drop on non-presidential election years. According to Fair Vote, low turnout is often attributedLaura Wood Peterson. Janae Brady. Bart Fischer.to political disengagement and the widespread belief that voting for one candidateThe Influence of Midtermbranch. But, in reality, midtermSenate can cause policy or party will do little to alterElections elections have a significantslowdowns, depending on the public policytypically, voterThough you might thinkimpact as well. majorities. turnout on presidential elec- about policy and the regula- One of the biggest influ- Its not just the President tions is around 60%, whiletory framework during presi- ences Fischer anticipates,simply signing these things offseason elections face aboutdential elections, but theresespecially in the House, is theinto law, Fischer says. a 40% turnout.a lot of influence a midtermsignificant push for oversight. Theres a lot that goes into So, why does it matter toelection can have on a Instead of having thethe process of getting a bill to the seed industry what hap- political agenda.same party in control of boththe Presidents desk.pens in midterm elections?When we think about thethe legislative branch and theIn preparation for shift-Well, though the stereotypicalregulatory framework, natu- White House, were anticipat- ing during election season,outlook might be that peoplerally, we think of the presiden- ing a split, he says. Fischerassociations and companies believe their vote wont altertial election, says Bart Fischer,expects House Republicans toworking on the Hill need to be policy changes in the longco-director of the Agriculturalspend a considerable amountfocused on sound and accu-run, theres a lot of benefit to& Food Policy Center at Texasof time on oversight of therate policy, says the American getting involved and votingA&M University, in a recentBiden Administration, whichSeed Trade Associations during midterm elections,Seed World Strategy Webinarcould impact the process of(ASTA) Janae Brady. especially with a year likeon Oct. 27. Its the person sit- confirming nominees in theThe most important thing 2022, when important policiesting in the White House whoregulatory agencies.is as we develop our policy such as the farm bill, are onsets the tone for the regula- Shifting of majoritiesand our proposals, that has to the horizon. tory agenda of the executivein both the House and thebe founded on good, founda-72/ SEEDWORLD.COMJANUARY 2023'