Dear Younger Me,
Someday you are going to discover something that took me far too long to appreciate: not all elections are created equal.
Like most people, you will probably pay the most attention to presidential elections. There will be endless television commercials, campaign mailings, yard signs sprouting like weeds and enough political arguments to make you wonder whether civilization is about to end.
The strange part is that the elections receiving the least attention are often the ones that have the greatest effect on your everyday life.
In normal times—and I emphasize normal because wars, pandemics, financial crises and other extraordinary events can certainly change things—the federal government has surprisingly little direct impact on your average Tuesday.
Your city government is another matter entirely. The people serving on your city commission make decisions about things you use every day: electricity, water, sewer, trash service, streets, police and fire protection, parks and economic development. If you enjoy having electricity when you flip the switch and water when you turn on the faucet, you might want to pay attention to who is running the city.
School board elections deserve your attention too. They may never receive the publicity of a presidential race, but their decisions influence our children, teachers, property values, workforce and ultimately the future of the community.
County government matters as well. I’ll confess something I’m not particularly proud of. Even after decades in public service, I still know less about county government than I should.
That’s a reminder that learning never really ends. And that brings me to perhaps the biggest lesson. People often say voting is your civic duty. I think there is something even more important.
Your duty is to cast an informed vote.
There have been elections where I looked at the ballot and realized I knew almost nothing about certain offices or the people running for them. I hadn’t done my homework. When that happens, don’t guess.
Don’t vote for someone because you like their name, because their signs seemed more plentiful or because they appeared first on the ballot. Skip the race.
Some people will disagree with me, and that’s perfectly fine. But I have never believed an uninformed vote is somehow better than admitting you don’t know enough to make a good decision.
Our system gives every registered voter exactly the same power. One person may spend weeks studying candidates and issues. Another may make a choice using “eeny, meeny, miny, moe.” Both votes count exactly the same. That is both the beauty and the burden of democracy.
So, here’s my advice. Learn how your government works. Pay attention to the elections that affect your community. Do your homework before Election Day. And if you honestly don’t know enough about a particular race, have the humility to admit it.
One last thing, Younger Me, don’t be afraid to change your mind. Sometimes the facts will lead you somewhere different than where you started. That’s not weakness, it is growth.
Curiosity is still one of your greatest strengths. Don’t lose it.
