It only feels like yesterday that we were in the midst of the most televised election in the world. We were bombarded by political ads and debates. After all, we were picking the leader of the free world; the man or woman that will plot the course of our country and shape global political agendas for the next four years.

What about this next election? If you live in a Township, you might see Township Supervisor. If you live in one of the cities, there might be a Councilman or Mayor on the ballot. Some people might be tempted to sit out this election, but that is a sentiment with which I disagree. In fact, I would argue that this is the most important election.

The truth is these men and women running for office will have more of an impact on your daily lives than a President in the Country’s Federal District. These are the elected officials that you can directly call when you have an issue that needs resolved. These are the individuals that will decide how to spend your taxes. These are the folks that will help ensure our infrastructure remain usable.

The reality is, in a four-year cycle, this upcoming election will have the lowest voter turnout compared to the others. Last year, we saw a voter turnout of around 80%. In 2017, we only saw 25%!

When the Founding Fathers were shaping our country, they gave us three duties as citizens: serve as a juror when one of our peers is accused of a crime, join the military to defend our interests, and participate in the democratic process. All three of these are important and necessary for a society to succeed.

However, choosing your representative in government is arguably the most important responsibility. When you consider the ability to select your leader through the lens of human history, it is easy to see how vital it is to exercise this right.

So, I would encourage all of you to get out the vote and remind your friends and family to do the same on Tuesday, May 18th.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s April 2021 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.