It’s Election Day in America.
If you’re like me and have cut the cable, you may not be acutely aware of that fact. You may have escaped the torrent of campaign commercials for local races and special elections (like the special congressional election in my home district). Accounting for the hustle and bustle of our general return to pre-COVID normalcy, you may have even overlooked this year’s bloom of yard signs.
But here we are, like clockwork, marking the culmination of another off-year election. And like most off-year elections, not many folks are expected to stampede to the polls this morning.
The numbers vary from locality to locality, but odd-numbered years share a trend toward reduced participation in the political process. For better or worse, if there aren’t major races (i.e. the Presidency) on the line, we just don’t pay as much attention and poof, just like that, we miss the window to stand up and be counted.
But if you really want your vote to count, today is the day you should strive to make it to the polls.
Local issue campaigns, city councils, school boards – basically the stuff that actually impacts your life – is on the line in these off-year elections. Taxes collected, and utilized, closest to home will be determined by these races. The quality of your local roads, how your trash gets collected, and how your kids will learn. That’s a pretty big deal – and in my opinion, bigger than who lands in the White House. This is the stuff of real life.
I’ve believed this for a long time, and I think recent events are a good reminder. While our national leaders are stuck in gridlock, our local elected officials are still delivering the vital services we entrust to their stewardship. They don’t have the excuses you see in Washington. Why? Because they’re answering to their neighbors. When we’re working for the people closest to home, we don’t want to let them down.
It may be too late to inspire you to scramble to your local voting precinct today. But I hope you’ll think on it in the midterms and off-year cycles to come. Because in those years, there is a real power in just showing up. Here are three reasons why:
1. When others fail to do so, the weight of your ballot increases.
2. When you exercise the voting muscle in off-year elections, you’ll become more aware of what’s happening in your community.
3. They still give you a sticker that you can flaunt on social media.
Ok, that last one is a bit of a joke but let’s not pretend you don’t feel a touch of pride when you get that little adhesive badge of honor every year. It’s a small reminder that you’re part of something bigger than yourself. Just like the feeling you get when you volunteer for community service work, there’s a sense of pride in assuming the responsibility of citizenship.
There’s real power in showing up. Your action holds more influence over the result; your involvement boosts your community awareness; and you get to feel good for doing it. Tap into that power every chance you get – like today.
Part of the Possible 