Every vote counts

Voters will head to the polls on Nov. 8, but it won’t be just to decide the next president. Many other federal, state, county and local seats are up for grabs this year, and the decisions we make in the voting booth will potentially affect our lives dramatically. 

It’s easy to lose sight of the importance of so-called down-ballot races, because they’re often less visible — especially during an election year when Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are dominating the political discourse. As engrossing and polarizing as the presidential campaign has been, it’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as a small election. And while the president certainly influences every aspect of our lives, from the drafting of laws to the creation of jobs to the ups and downs of the economy, it takes a cohesive network of local officials to effect change. When you vote on Election Day, vote all the way.

Though the Presidential race has gotten all the attention, on the ballot in November will be candidates for the U.S. Senate (incumbent Charles Schumer is being challenged by Republican Wendy Long and two independents) and the House of Representatives (Democrat Eliot Engel faces a challenge from Derickson Lawrence on the People’s Choice ticket and Republican Stylo Sapaskis, while Democrat Adriano Espaillat and Republican Robert Evans are joined by Transparent Government candidate Scott Fenstermaker and the Green Party’s Daniel Rivera in the battle for the seat vacated by retiring Democrat Charles Rangel). Sadly, this year’s local State Assembly and State Senate candidates are running unopposed. Who we put in office there matters, because their job is to advocate for the interests of their constituents — us.

All 435 seats are up in the House of Representatives, and as we have been so vividly reminded in recent years, Congress’s makeup determines the tone and effectiveness of the federal government, arguably even more so than the president does. Laws start on their road to enactment in Congress, and the president’s initiatives often hinge on the level of support in the House.

The same is true in Albany: State government doesn’t begin and end with the governor. Nothing gets done without the Assembly and Senate. We’ve seen deadlock in the Capitol, but we’ve also seen sustained periods of action. In recent years, the Legislature has implemented a property-tax cap and has passed the Marriage Equality Act. It determines how much money our local schools and hospitals receive. These are huge decisions that affect all of our lives. That’s why it’s important to elect the people who you believe are the right people to represent us in Albany.

To arrive at informed opinions, voters must get to know the candidates, especially because they often run for local offices more than once, whether they win or lose. Mr. Espaillat, for example, is currently serving in the State Senate and he ran unsuccessfully for Mr. Rangel’s seat in a previous election.

We encourage voters to become as informed about races for the State Legislature as they are about those on the federal level. The Riverdale Press is an important source of information about local politics, but a number of good government groups offer information on the internet and can direct voters to the candidates’ own websites. 

On the League of Women Voters site, www.Vote411.org, for instance, you can type in your address and get a comprehensive list of names on the ballot in your district along with a digest of their policy positions, their party affiliations and click-throughs to their websites.

And on Election Day, don’t forget to vote.