Being from Maryland originally, I grew up hearing the phrase, âOh, I donât need to vote because it wonât matter. I live in a blue stateâ. Which was true for the presidential elections as my home state has consistently leaned democratic since 1988. It was a mindset I sadly fell into, where even though I was voting I was only doing some of the research. All I knew was to go into the polls and vote for the presidential candidate who best represented me, and once the other names popped up for district attorney or school board, it felt like clicking through the terms of service. I used to brag about how much of an educated voter because I looked into the candidates’ policies, but if you asked me then about the local elections, Iâd brush it off. I have now voted in two elections going into my third and I thought Iâd share this important lesson. Local elections matter sometimes even more than the presidential election.
Thatâs a harsh take, especially in this election with so much at stake, but I think itâs still a take to have in this election. I am now officially a registered Pennsylvania voter and aside from the President, I am voting on the attorney general, state house of representatives, and state senate members. These roles act as chief legal officers or are in charge of creating legislation on the state level. In a time of discussion of state rights and issues like abortion returning to the state level, these positions could determine the access or restriction of rights. These are the people who determine your daily life, while the President makes federal changes. Local elections can decide something as simple as whether that pothole by your job gets filled, or if LGBTQ+ individuals have access to resources or gender-affirming care. Even things such as the amount of funding schools get or if there is money put into cleaning major water sources.
These day-to-day things are always up in the air and not set by pattern. Itâs important for us to make choices that reflect what we want to see in our everyday lives. I wonât lie, sometimes itâs difficult to research as a lot of the information isnât readily available. A great resource on where to start is your state voter registration website to access a sample ballot. Here you can get a lot more information than you may think. You get access to every candidate and their political party, which is actually all some people care to know. Using these key pieces of information can help you search for their campaign Instagram’s or websites. If you want a simple search engine, look to Vote Smart. They have compiled most if not all the political candidates in state and local elections. All you have to search for is their names and it will give you information like their political experience, professional experience, positions, and more.Â
Elections donât have to be hard unless you make it hard. If you read this and think to yourself, âNone of this really matters to me, honestlyâ. Thatâs your choice, but remember elections are about you, but they are also about underrepresented groups. Fixing the road may not matter to you, but if someone who canât afford it hits the pothole wrong it can take out their tire or mess up their alignment. Not having access to comprehensive sex education in schools may not affect you being an adult now, but there are teens who are not getting scientifically accurate sexual education. As much as I preach, vote for the candidate who best represents you, but local elections are about all of us. Itâs about building and maintaining a healthy community. So please, vote for in your local elections and do it with reason.