UNITED STATES—For many states across the country primaries are happening all over. A lot of people don’t vote in many primary elections, they only tend to vote in the big election, i.e. for governor of their state or President of the United States. Sometimes you don’t want to vote, but in all truth you need to vote when it comes to local elections. Why? Well, they have a huge impact on your community, your schools and local government. So many people are unaware that the POTUS doesn’t have a lot of power when it comes to local issues or even state issues. Not educating yourself and taking who is running in the election series is a big problem.

You have to know who is running for office and not just casting a vote for someone because your parents, your friends, your neighbors or someone you barely know. Why? It can impact your life and your children’s life and their kids life for years to come. Think about the future America, however, voting in local elections brings up a big question: why don’t we care?

The only answer I can think of is that some people just do not care. Even I am guilty because I waivered thinking to myself, “Do I really need to vote?”  Like does this primary election have any impact? Those are legit questions I had. Making the situation worst was the fact that work comes into play, family life comes into play and before you know it you have all the reasons WHY you shouldn’t vote, but on the flipside you’re simply making EXCUSES.

Whenever I have that frustration about rather to vote in local elections, I think back to all the people who didn’t have that right to vote, minorities and people of color and even women. I feel like if I don’t vote and I had the opportunity to vote I’m doing a disservice to those who fought so hard for me to have that right. I cannot be ignorant to that right. I have it so I have to use it because if things are bad and I didn’t NOT vote, I should be the last person to complain.

If you’re not working there seriously is no excuse to not vote, if you do work, go to the polling location early or right when you get off work. If those are not options, you have the opportunity to get an absentee ballot that you can fill out by mail and send it in. There seriously is no excuse, and with this pandemic taking our country by storm it seems to be more prevalent now more than ever and to me that just makes it clear the opportunity to vote is easier now than ever before.

Plain in simple if you don’t vote in your local election, don’t complain because you had the opportunity to make a change and you choose not to do it.

Written By Zoe Mitchell