Originally Published 11 July 2015 in The Greenville News

November may seem far away. However, there’s no time like the present to start thinking about local candidates and local elections. With our busy lives, we have a tendency to pay attention to politics only during big election years—when a President or Governor is on the ballot. But local elections are perhaps more important than national or even state elections because they have more tangible effects on our everyday lives.

Our local governments are more likely to influence our quality of life because they establish the amount and quality of local service, like police, fire, and parks and recreation, amongst others. Local elections are our opportunity to have a voice in how our cities approach issues important to us. Our votes give us more power over our financial bottom lines. For homeowners, cost of living is largely determined by local government’s decisions on taxation.

We have just a couple months to make our decisions, but we should start thinking about them now. As candidates continue to announce, we should get to know them and what they stand for. Then, on November 5th, we can show up at the polls prepared to vote for what matters and affects us most.

Get voting information here.