Now, I’m sad to admit that I’m as uninformed about my local candidates as almost everyone else. A longtime absentee ballot voter, I keep my registration in Northern Virginia because they are the swing section of the state, but find a major downside is that I’m completely ignorant as to who runs my hometown. What I do know, I know because of my current and previous newswriting jobs. I have never made the time to learn more. I am ashamed of this fact, but I admit it because I know I am not alone.

The smaller the election, the lower the voter turnout. This is an ironic fact of life, considering that our local representative’s decisions have the largest impact on our lives. What they decide to build, tax, cut, expand, etc. will directly impact our lives and community, yet the only people who vote in these are the elderly. The grey vote, as it has colloquially been called. If someone wants to be mayor or chairperson or state senator, they better start catering to them. I realized this while covering a recent press conference for a local candidate, one in which only the members of the press were under fifty. There’s nothing wrong with that. The needs and opinions of the elderly should certainly be treated with interest and respect, but they shouldn’t be the only ones participating.

So my challenge to my fellow college students is to learn more about your local representatives. Find out who they are and what they want to accomplish within the community. Pick up your local paper and find out what’s been happening in your backyard. It’s too late to vote on anything for this year, but most officials only serve one-to-two year terms, so it’s never too early to start prepping for the next election. National issues might seem more substantive, but local issues have a more direct effect. Personally, I’m incredibly grateful for the fact I have the freedom to vote, and look forward to practicing my right as often as I can.