It’s not easy being a conservative in 2016.

At the beginning of this race there were 16 republicans running for the nomination. A good few of them were tea party, wholesome, socially and constitutionally conservative. Others were more moderate but seemed sensible. One was a former reality star and businessman who was a democrat for a good part of his life; he won. Naturally bitterness has ensued among conservatives who can’t see eye to eye on the situation.

Hilary Clinton is the democratic nominee, and we’ve been there and done that. Didn’t her husband get impeached? Conservatives and moderates are scratching their heads at the options we are left with. Is there even an option? Gary Johnson has gained appeal but leaves conservatives questioning “Isn’t he almost as liberal as Hilary Clinton?” “Although I don’t agree with him on a lot of things, doesn’t he seem more stable?” Or “Is it better to vote for the lesser of evils because one of them will certainly win, or is it better to vote for neither and have a clear conscience?” From news anchors, to talk radio, to citizens piddling around on social media, there is an outcry. Some republicans say, “A vote for anyone but Donald Trump is a vote for Hilary and we can’t have that…” while others say, “Donald Trump is not a conservative. He changes his positions frequently, and his policies are closer to Bernie and Hilary’s, so why should I promise to vote for him?” They are all at each other’s throats.

Meanwhile I’m over here wondering who the heck else is on my ballot. I sure would like to know soon because I have to vote absentee a month before most. Why is it that I can’t even remember all the offices that are represented on the ballot let alone who is running for them?

It's because we haven’t made them important enough.

I vaguely remember being a first time voter and thinking I was just voting for the next president. I skimmed a cheat sheet minutes before going into the booth which clearly gave the best presentation of each candidate for each office. I heard about voting “straight ticket.” It sounded reasonable, I was already very socially conservative in my views so there was no reason to vote for any of the democrats or libertarians if they were probably going to advance the causes for abortion. Later I heard things about a local representative that didn’t make me proud of my vote. It didn’t seem right to know everything I needed to about the presidential nominees and nothing about other government officials I cast my vote for.

Four years later, I was more proactive. I read about them in the paper. It still didn’t seem sufficient. Four years after that I spent some time googling candidates on the internet and watching Youtube videos of them giving speeches. This was the first time I ever heard Ted Cruz speak and I was proud to cast my vote for him to take a senate seat. This year, when he didn’t seal the republican nomination and didn’t give Donald Trump an outright endorsement at the convention, a lot of people were furious. I thought what he said was the most sensible thing I’ve heard this race. “Vote your conscience UP and DOWN the ticket…” Well, shouldn’t we? Everybody seems to be arguing about the UP and few know anything about the DOWN. Furthermore, how can I vote my conscience on the rest of the ticket when I know nothing about anyone on it?

The argument about whether the third party or write-in voting helps democrats more than republicans has been disputed and will continue to be for some time. The opinions about whether or not to vote for Trump, Clinton, or Johnson have been expressed and expressed and expressed. People are angry with each other for not seeing eye to eye on the top of the ticket; it is to the point that they threaten candidates and supporters on Social Media saying things like, “Quit your crying! You BETTER endorse Trump! You better vote for Trump!” Whoa, this is still a free country isn’t it? So I hear the arguments about the top of the ticket, but what about the rest of the ticket?

The next Senators in your state could run for president and have a chance at winning four years from now. Your next representatives could propose the next president’s impeachment in the event they see fit. The Senate approves presidential appointments and decides impeachment cases. They, along with the House, hold the next president accountable. If you don’t like any of the top ticket candidates, the rest of the ticket should be really important to you.

Straight-ticket voters in Louisiana ought to recognize the name “David Duke” on their ballot. If enough conservatives in that state vote straight ticket, we will have a white supremist former KKK wizard in the Senate. In Illinois, Republican Mark Kirk is pro-abortion, pro-same-sex-marriage, and supports Obama’s Supreme Court nominee (however you feel about that, you have to admit it’s unexpected from a Republican).

You’ll also be voting for county Coroner, Sheriff, Tax Assessors, Tax Commissioners, Solicitor General, and the Board of Education. These offices impact your community DIRECTLY. This is your law enforcement, safety, finances, and decisions about our kids’ education. The head honcho (President) may have a profound impact on our nation’s future, but so do these other offices. One of the great things about how our nation works is that States have some rights of their own rather than the federal government dictating everything for all, and you get to vote for the people who represent your community.

How many of you realize that some of the people voting in our election are not citizens of our country? People who receive generous government subsidies will be going to the polls to vote to keep those subsidies whether they are working or not (and your tax dollars fund them). However exciting or grim the top of the ticket looks to you, and however conflicted you are about that decision, your vote is not wasted. If you like Johnson because he is not the lesser of two evils and people tell you it’s a wasted vote, they are wrong. If you like Trump because of his tax plan or positions on national security and people tell you that you’re wasting your vote because he’s unreliable and can’t be trusted, they are wrong. If you’re voting for Clinton because… (Who am I kidding? I have no idea why anyone is voting for her!) well, because she’s not Trump or something, it’s not a wasted vote. My point is pray and make the best judgement call you can for the top of the ticket and take pride in your responsibility for the rest of the ticket as well.

Maybe we should stop referring to the ballot as “my vote” and “your vote” and start referring to it as “my votes” and “your votes”. Remember that there are various people trying to serve in other important offices and it is up to us to help them. If we were far less apathetic about our local government, maybe the big government races would look a lot better. It may seem cliché, but the only way to throw away your vote is to not vote at all.