The presidential election isn’t the only one you should be fired up to influence at the ballot box. In fact, the local representatives, supervisors, sheriffs, circuit clerk, and chancery clerk have more day-to-day impact on your life than the president.
The local elected officials make decisions on policies that directly affect your taxes, home value and professional life. They make these decisions on an everyday basis; making the service they provide a responsibility of the upmost importance.
When you vote, you are telling elected officials how you feel about these issues. Your vote can influence decisions on funding for schools or roads that you or family members may use everyday.
Many people feel that voting is a “waste of time” and that their individual votes “will not make a difference.” For smaller areas such as Choctaw County, this could not be farther from the truth.
Local elections are the most democratic systems in the entire country. There is no other place that an individual vote can have so much power. Candidates in these elections realize the importance of each individual vote, making personal connections the main focus. This allows potential voters to find out more information regarding the candidate, which allows them to make the most educated and sensible decision in the voting booth.
Citizens who vote hold more credibility over their non-voting counterparts when talking about issues in their communities. at work or in the bleachers at the high school football game, politics are likely to pop into the conversation.
When you place your vote, your voice becomes more powerful and justified to publicly convey your feelings on specific issues. Whether you agree or disagree with a certain policy or legislative item, your thoughts will be considered vital in the political arena if you vote.
Children cannot vote, but our community’s laws and policies still impact them, especially when it comes to education. Our children are depending on us to represent their voices at the voting booth, and we must work to make sure we don’t let them down.
And speaking of children, one of the best ways to ensure a bright horizon for our democracy is instilling a voter’s mindset at an early age. Talk to your children or students about why voting is so important to America and how it can impact things that are important to them like school, playgrounds and public parks.
Your local representatives fight hard for your personal rights at the highest levels. Wages, pay equity, fairness in hiring, pension security, taxes and health insurance issues are a few of the most important aspects of your life that can be influenced by your local officials.
With that being said, you as a resident of Choctaw county must be aware of the importance of voting in local elections. Even if you feel that voting is not important, it is always important to others close to you, such as family, friends, and neighbors. They depend on you to help them in achieving a better quality of life where they call home.
