Dan Caccavale
Every year more and more people ask the same question; does my vote really matter? Or should I even bother voting? To be honest, the answer is yes you should. I hear a lot of people talking about not voting on November 8th because it isn’t a presidential election.
Well my question is what’s the difference? Even though it is a local election they count just as much. These smaller elections are what help to shape your towns, cities, and your state. Without these local governments nothing could get accomplished. No garbage pickup, no streets cleared after snow storms, no repairs to roadways when pot-holes become an issue. Ok, so someone has to do the job, so just check off a name and call it a day right? Ah, if it were only that easy. These local governments also control who can build what and where, what certain taxes are going to be higher or lower, and they can even tell you what school district you belong to. So now it runs just like the presidential election, everyone puts up their signs and campaigns all over town. If you really want things changed in your town, maybe you want a street light fixed or maybe taxes are too high. Well which candidate is running around saying they will make the difference for your issues? Just writing a name on a piece of paper could potentially cause mayhem. Not many people would just vote for a presidential candidate because they like their suit or lived near them, so why should local elections be this way.
It is necessary to listen to these local debates and pick candidates who can make a difference in your town. Not just to get the street light fixed but for more than that. But because change starts at home, one local election could change policy in your town, could influence the state, and with a bit of luck and work, could make a difference for our country in the 2012 election.
So please, don’t just shrug it off, go out and make a difference on November 8th and fight for what you believe in.
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