This November 4, voters will go to the polls to cast their ballots for state and local elections. Off year elections are often overlooked when it comes to results. According to the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government, turnout can be as low as 20% of eligible voters in these elections.
“This is a bad thing,” said League of Women Voters President Morgan Robinson.
“Nine times out of ten, a local judge will impact your daily life more than our president…” said Robinson, making a point to say that these elections are important.
“I feel like it’s a civic duty,” said Augusto Quiñones ‘26 when asked why he was voting.
This sentiment was echoed by Quincy Willis ‘26.
“I feel as a young person growing up in today’s America, my voice does matter, and that I should be able to contribute… to how our country is run,” said Willis.
“The whole point of our democracy is to have a voice,” said Robinson.
So say you want to vote in the November election, and you are of voting age–there are a few things you have to do before you can vote. The first, and most important, is getting registered to vote. The voter registration deadline is October 20, so make sure that if you are eligible to vote, you register. You can register to vote using the Voter Registration Application. This will get you registered and ready to vote.
The next step is to find your polling location. You can do this by visiting this website set up by the government to find your polling location.
If you would prefer to vote by mail, that is also an option. You can simply use the Vote by Mail Application to fill out your application. Please know that you must have your application in by October 28, or you will not be able to receive a mail-in ballot.
“We can’t make change if we don’t do something,” said Robinson. “We can’t complain if we don’t take action.”
Aarohi • Oct 16, 2025 at 7:26 pm
While I won’t be 18 until two years from now, my cousin is the Judge of Elections in Philadelphia and I see the behind the scenes of what goes into orchestrating elections, and what their effect looks like on our city. Living with people who are politically educated has strongly influenced my point of view on voting in local elections. My experiences have highlighted the importance of voices in the community advocating for their own rights. We live with the consequences of uneducated votes being casted, not anyone else, we do which makes it even more important to me to advocate for what I think is right.
Evah • Oct 15, 2025 at 1:35 pm
I am not 18 yet, but I understand how important any non-presidential election is. My mother always believed it was imperative to teach me about civics and took me with her to vote every year. Off-year elections directly impact you and your community more than any president. They represent, advocate, and fight on behalf of your community as opposed to a national advocate. As young people, and soon-to-be young voters, we should understand the importance of these elections. We will be impacting who is in control of the country for years to come. Robins is right: “The whole point of our democracy is to have a voice,”
carter • Oct 14, 2025 at 10:19 pm
Although I’m underage and won’t be able to vote for another four years, I still understand why voting, especially in off year elections is so important. I hear my parents talk about how every vote matters and how local elections can affect our daily lives just as much, if not more, than national ones. They always say that staying involved helps shape the community we live in. I really liked the quote at the end: “We can’t make change if we don’t do something. We can’t complain if we don’t take action.” It is so true because change doesn’t just happen on its own, it starts with people taking responsibility and showing up. Even though I can’t vote yet, this makes me realize that being informed and encouraging others to vote are ways to take make a difference in our democracy while we still have one. I also liked that the article was very detailed about the steps that ppl needed to take in order to actually be able to vote.
Molly • Oct 14, 2025 at 9:40 pm
Although I will not be 18 for the next few years, and will not be close to voting age by this November 4th, this article really resonates with me. This election allows members of the community and state will have a chance to gain specific changes in your/others life. Knowing that these elections have such a large effect on personal lives makes me want to make sure that everyone is voting. I feel that specifically, during a time when it feels like one branch, or multiples branches are holding power over other branches of government, it is important to make sure that your voice is heard! I really agree with Quincy Willis’s statement that, “as a young person growing up in today’s America, [our] voice[‘s] [do] matter,” and feel that it emphasizes just how important it is to go out and vote!
zara • Oct 14, 2025 at 7:40 pm
I really resonate with the quote at the end of the article. Voting is so important, and just because it’s on a smaller scale, doesn’t mean that it can’t have a big impact. I found this article very insightful, and I’m glad that the people in our community who are eligible to vote, not only know the importance but are actively participating. Voting, especially now, is important because even if it seems far away, it can and will affect your daily life. I agree with the article when it says voting can be overlooked, and I agree because sometimes people believe that their voice wouldn’t matter, but all voices count, and I think more people need to know that.
Eden • Oct 10, 2025 at 6:51 am
I completely agree with the quote in the end, “We can’t complain if we don’t take action”. If there is something very simple that we are able to do and make change with, and we don’t take that chance, then we shouldn’t complain about what happens. One vote won’t change everything, but millions of votes will, and 20% turnout is extremely bad for something that is so important. I think local elections, while not as big as presidential ones, are still very important, possibly more so in terms of our daily lives and the cities we live in. A president handles the nation as a whole, but smaller leaders handle the little things that make our world go smoother, and voter turnout should be the best it can be either way. I am not able to vote, and will not be for a few years to come, but once I am I will make sure to use that opportunity and resources provided.
Kemper Bramblett • Oct 8, 2025 at 9:16 am
Supporting the claim that off-year elections are often overlooked, I myself had completely forgotten to register to vote until I saw this article. I think it’s interesting how important this article makes municipal election to be, yet so few people show up. As somebody who works the polls on election day, the difference in turnout for different kinds of election vary immensely, despite each one being as important as the last. I don’t know if I agree with the statistic mentioned about how important local elections are compared to larger presidential elections, but I would say that they are both still 100% worth participating in.
Avila Widestrom • Oct 7, 2025 at 7:56 am
Judicial and statewide elections are some of the more important ones because they can affect you in your personal life, which is still essential for you. While I will not be 18 by the election, I will go on the first election I can, which will be November 2027, the presidential election, coincidentally. But even after that, I will make sure to vote in small to Statewide elections because it is a fundamentally Democratic thing that is important to upholding the values of American society
Liam • Oct 7, 2025 at 7:42 am
Funny enough, I’m turning 18 on election day. So, if I actually get around to registering (which I really, really should have done by now), then I’ll be able to vote on my 18th birthday. Voting is something I really wish I could have done in the past, because even if one single voice doesn’t ostensibly do that much, at the same time, if nobody voted then we wouldn’t have a democracy. That’s all to say that I haven’t registered to vote yet, as much as I realistically should have. I’ll probably get to that at some point today, now that this article has reminded me.