Scrolling through social media, watching the news, and talking to friends and family, it’s as if the only topic of conversation is the presidential election, but the important topic that gets pushed into the shadows is the importance of knowing who is on the ballot beneath the top few boxes.
According to the U.S. Vote Foundation, one-third of voters casting a ballot skip completing it past the first few positions that saturate our minds with what we consume every day. The lack of voting on a local level may not seem like a huge deal compared to the presidential race that is on everyone’s mind, but those are the officials who will genuinely represent you in government.
As young voters, it is critical to make sure you exercise your right to vote, know your ballot, and understand the issues. Down-ballot voting is the most beneficial step in understanding how your voice can make a difference on a more local level. No matter how your ballot gets to the office of elections, being confident in every bubble you fill in is a power that all voters should know. The truth is, these candidates might just have more impact on the issues than you think. Positions such as Attorney General, Auditor General, State Treasurer, as far down to school board members, and judges are the real people who make the changes on a local level. Healthcare, taxation, school policy, reproductive health, and so many more priority issues fall into the hands of these officials first, before they get to a federal level.
This matters because local issues make way up to the state, and can eventually get those topics to the National level of legislation.
Instead of just filling in the bubble in accordance with party lines, don’t be hesitant to do your research on the candidate’s platforms that speak to you, get involved, and understand how these are the people who will ensure your local community or state community could benefit from the policies on this scale.
The unfortunate truth is that many times people just don’t know who the candidates are, so filling out the ballot is the first time anyone sees their names unless they briefly drove by a sign in the plethora of election yard signs. Especially as many students could be first-time voters in this election, start strong, and know how to take action to ensure your vote matters the most it possibly can.
At MMC, we as students come from all over, luckily there are many resources that can be used to find out who is on your ballot and what they stand for. The Monitor aims to help MMC students navigate this important time in our history as we are the future and these decisions directly impact how our lives will be in years ahead. Learn more about your state’s ballot at any of the links below and understand the importance of down-ballot voting.
https://ballotpedia.org/Sample_Ballot_Lookup
https://www.vote411.org/ballot
