We are faced with what seems a very close presidential race as voting season nears the horizon. Despite what some say, your vote matters just as much in your local community.  

Some say their vote doesn’t matter because of geographic and political location, others for other beliefs on how votes are counted. For us in Illinois, many use Chicago as a reason to not vote because of the sheer amount of people who live there.  

Elections aren’t decided by surface area. They are decided by population.  

Even though this state has a history of being favorable to one party, don’t be discouraged to vote.  

Everyone has a duty and responsibility to vote for how they think our country’s leadership should be run, you might as well take your chance to be heard. 

This doesn’t just include national elections though.  

Instead of voting against millions of Americans, your community is a smaller pool of people to vote against. In other words, your vote holds a heavier weight in local elections. 

Even though the majority of students aren’t from Charleston, they should still register to vote here. Students, you spend around nine months of the year here. Policy in Coles County affects you just as much.  

You might as well have a say in who is governing your community even if it is just a temporary residence.  

The positions that are up for reelection are the circuit clerk, states attorney, coroner and six county board positions.  

The circuit clerk helps maintain court records and assists the circuit court judge. The state’s attorney is in charge of prosecution. The coroner assists with identifying cause of death.  

These elected positions help every county run.  

Many positions have current serving members running and only two positions are running unopposed.  

The county board is in charge of the county’s finances and regulatory powers. The republican candidate for district two, Mike Clayton, is petitioning for reelection against Jordan Eubank under the democrats. District six has two new candidates running: republican Thomas Royal and democrat Douglas Fagan.  

Your local government decides where local taxes go. In most communities, your vote can directly affect the allocation of that funding pending what candidate is selected.  

When roads go under construction, how the police and fire departments are funded, how much money local libraries receive, how much goes into education in communities, all of these things can be affected by a vote. 

But on top of that, your vote can directly affect policy. See the Illinois’ Worker’s Rights Amendment from 2022. The bill was passed with 58.1% of the vote being in its favor. The amendment added language to Illinois’ constitution reinforcing the rights of employees to organize and collectively bargain.  

No matter who is running, it’s important to know who you are voting for. If you want to be accurately represented in the running of our country, make sure you vote for a candidate that best represents you.  

The Washington Post put it best. Democracy dies in darkness. 

One vote can be a difference maker, especially locally.  

Go vote.  

The Editorial Staff can be reached at 581-2812 or at deneic@gmail.com.