Now that we know how to vote and a little about how voting works. Es tiempo to find out what the differences between voting in national elections and local elections are. It’s easy to think that the only election que es importante is the presidential election. However, that’s not the case, porque so much of what impacts you everyday, in your neighborhood, school, work, taxes, house, happens at the local level.
Local elections affect us the most.
When we vote locally we are voting for the people that will directly have an impact on our day to day activities. These elections can happen at any time of the year and at various times. Local elections don’t have to go through a process like the Electoral College para elegir the winning candidate. They are selected by a process called direct election, in which the candidate con la mayoria de votos wins.
During these elections we elect people such as:
- Sheriff
- City council members
- Mayor School
- Board Members
Many of these positions make decisions on the current issues en nuestras comunidades. For example, members of the school board decide what programs will be funded, what your hermanitos or kids will be learning and the hiring of teachers and principals.
Despues, there’s State Elections.
Elecciones de tu estado, are where you elect the governor, any state representatives, and members of the judicial branch of your state. Although some of these positions are appointed by the governor, that doesn’t mean you should stay at home and not vote. La persona encargada in appointing positions to your state’s Supreme or Appeals Court is your governor. Por eso, it’s so importante for you to go out and vote for the person YOU want to put in a position to appoint people who will make decisions in your state’s mejor interes.
Primary elections are also important during state elections. This is usually when we narrow the field of candidates for a given elective office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election.
Lastly, national elections.
National elections are the ones, like now, that everyone turns the most attention to as we get to chose the highest position in the country, la presidencia. These elections are the only ones in which the winning candidate es elegido by an indirect election by the Electoral College. Presidential elections happen every four years and election day usually falls on the first Tuesday in November.
Sometimes, tenemos una creencia, that national elections don’t affect us. However, although they may not feel like they have a direct impact on our daily lives – they do. We’ve seen what presidencies have achieved for communities like ours and how easily they can destroy nuestra estructura de familia.
Understanding that each phase of an election nos afecta, is an important part of recognizing el poder de tu voto.
Siempre debes votar.
Elections affect us, whether it’s a local, state or general election. Sometimes we may believe that staying out of politics is the easier choice. Puede ser simple si, but we always find ourselves wishing we had done more to help our communities.
That’s why elections, en todas las etapas, should be treated just as important as a big general elections. We should aim to have higher voter turnouts in local and state elections, just as we have in presidential elections. They’re the most impactful for us.
Recuerda, que tu voto es tu voz. Y tu voz, es poder.