The League of Women Voters in Rochester says it is optimistic after Tuesday night’s midterm results.
Mary Hussong-Kallen is the Communications Director of the local chapter, and says they are really pleased with turnout.
She says the League is committed to encouraging people to use their voice through voting.
"We feel that that surge in numbers reflects people paying attention to issues, and that’s certainly important to us. We feel that an informed voter is really the backbone of our democracy and issues seem to have driven people to the polls."
Hussong-Kallen said women voting turnout was great but also the number of women candidates who ran.
"These women represent not just women as a monolithic group but Muslims and the gay community and so many other communities that maybe have not been as well represented so it’s not just the fact that they’re women, it’s the communities that they’re part of."
Even in the races where women fought and lost, she says nothing was taken for granted.
She hopes this momentum will carry on, saying 2020 is a lifetime away right now but these are encouraging signs.