Election Day 2020 is right around the corner. On November 3 (or some point before, if you’ve chosen to vote early), we Americans can have a direct say in the future of our nation by exercising our sacred civic duty to vote. 

We hear campaign advertisements on TV and radio nearly every commercial break to promote races for Senate and Congress. By the time Election Day rolls around, I’m guessing we will all be able to list off Joni Ernst’s and Theresa Greenfield’s resumes and controversies by heart, thanks to our political ads overlapping with Iowa’s in the Omaha media market. Candidates for federal and statewide offices will be very familiar to you by the time you complete your ballot. However, can you name your candidates for school board? County commissioner? City council?

Many voters go to the ballot box knowing who they will vote for in federal and statewide races, but are taken aback by how many more local races are on the ballot that they had not studied. If you have not done so already, take some time to learn more about your community’s candidates for local elected office. Give the candidates a call or send them an email to see where they stand on issues important to you. 

Not only is it more likely that your vote could be the deciding one cast in a local race, it’s also far more probable that a local elected official’s decisions will have a direct impact on your life. Your local school board helps decide what you’ll pay in property taxes in a given year, your city council guides the future of your community, and your county commissioners play a pivotal role in your area’s infrastructure. Local elections have a lower profile than Presidential or Senate races, but the outcome of these local races will have a far greater direct impact on you, your family, and your community. Nebraska’s election dashboard, which contains handy information on candidates and other items on your ballot, can be found at this website: https://www.nebraska.gov/featured/elections-voting/. 

Regardless of who you vote for on November 3, let’s commit to working together for Southeast Nebraska on November 4, and every day thereafter. 

As always, I welcome your input on issues important to you. Follow along on my Facebook and Twitter pages, both entitled “Senator Julie Slama” for more updates, or contact me directly at Senator Julie Slama, District 1 State Capitol, PO Box 94604, Lincoln, NE 68509-4604; telephone 402-471-2733; email: jslama@leg.ne.gov