The political fervor of the past few weeks have come to an end, as the results of the 2018 midterm elections have been confirmed. With a total of 535 seats in Congress filled, the election can be difficult to understand.

Though most of us cannot vote, we can still fulfill our civic duties by educating ourselves on the current events of the country.

Prior to this election, Republicans controlled all three branches of government, with a majority in both houses of Congress.

As of Nov. 6, Democrats have won a majority in the House of Representatives, filling 225 out of the 435 seats.

In Senate, Republicans claimed a majority with 51 seats won.

Now that the Republican party does not control all three branches of government, Democrats will be able to check Republican power. It will be more difficult for President Trump and his administration to pass laws, especially advancements on his border wall with Mexico.

Further, Democrats will be able to launch investigations against Trump and his administration, especially regarding collusion with Russia and personal financial issues. Should investigations come out conclusive, the new blue House holds the ability to potentially draft  articles of impeachment in the future.

Our country made great strides in this election as well, electing 95 women to Congress. For the first time, two Muslim women and two Native American women, one an open member of the LGBTQ community, were elected to Congress.

Locally, Republican Young Kim won a House seat in the 39th congressional district where Fullerton is located against Democrat Gil Cisneros. Kim is the first Korean-American woman to be elected to Congress.

As of Nov. 9, the elections in Georgia, Florida, Arizona and Mississippi have not been confirmed yet, due to elections being recounted or a second round of voting (runoff).

Here is a list of credible sources to follow updates:

• NPR
• Politico
• BBC
• The Los Angeles Times
• The Washington Post

Update:

As of Fri. Nov. 16, Gil Cisneros has taken the lead over Young Kim by 941 votes. 2018 may be the first year the 39th district votes in a blue representative.