It’s a presidential election year and that means — for those of us residing in Pennsylvania or other swing states — being bombarded with political ads. The majority of these ads are solely focused on the top of the ticket.
There’s a great deal of importance in voting for the president. I don’t disagree with that notion, but I find most people unaware of the multitude of other races on the ballot that can and will impact their everyday lives.
I am registered and already have voted — oh, the beauty of mail-in voting — so allow me to use the Meadville area election as an example. Here in town, there are elections for a U.S. Senate seat, a state attorney general, a state auditor general, a state treasurer, a U.S. House of Representatives seat and a seat in the state General Assembly.
If you vote here, think about these offices and see if you can name the candidates running for them. I find a lot of people are woefully uninformed.
Take 10 or 15 minutes and research the candidates running for these offices. I could tell you who to vote for, but I believe it best if each citizen takes it into their own hands. This is the political version of, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
I’m sure some people are pondering this question. How do these offices affect me and my everyday life? The answer: in more ways than you can imagine.
People running for these offices, especially those at the bottom of the ticket, are far more accessible to the average person than the president. I’ve met candidates for the General Assembly, the U.S. House of Representatives and the auditor general. These meetings all took place in Meadville and all occurred in the last two months. Those willing to sojourn up to Erie could have also met and spoken with candidates for treasurer, attorney general and the US Senate in the past month.
It’s one thing to go to an event and hear a presidential candidate speak. It’s something entirely different to shake hands with a candidate and talk one-on-one about issues.
Once these candidates become elected officials, they have the power to directly influence your way of life. Are you interested in recreational marijuana legalization in a state that lacks legislation? Contacting your state or local representative or senator can help change that. Do you think natural gas drilling near you has contaminated your water? Reach out to the office of the auditor general to see if they can investigate.
These down-ballot races can get even more local. County commissioners, mayoral, city council, township supervisors and magistrates are just a few examples of other hyper-local races that affect the lives of citizens far more often than the presidential races.
Do you want a local tax increase or decrease? Has a fixed bus route you take to work stopped arriving? Are street lights in your neighborhood malfunctioning? All the answers to these questions lie in the hands of local officials, and by way of voting, you.
I believe there’s great importance and civic responsibility in voting in the presidential election. But again, I implore you to take the time out of your day to research the other races on the ballot this November and every November to come. Next year, there will be no presidential election, but that doesn’t mean you should stay home on Election Day. I encourage all citizens to go out and assert your right to vote, every election, regardless of the races on the ticket.