Since last spring, our country has been engulfed in the drama, debates and daily news cycle of the national presidential election. Between the scandals of Hillary Clinton, the controversies of Donald Trump, and the resurgence of Gary Johnson, some Americans, as well as most of the media, are convinced that the 2016 Election centers around two or three individual tickets made up of a pair of partisans.

But, my friends, that is just the opposite.

This election has important decisions up and down the ballot, from district attorney to dog catcher. We are selling ourselves short if we think we’re voting for just the President this November.

When the Framers drafted the Constitution way back in 1787, they intended for the United States to be a democratic government built upon layers – or in simpler terms, a republic. James Madison, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and others wanted our government to be just as important in Augusta, Concord or Montpelier as it was in Washington and just as vital at your town hall as at the Capitol Building or West Wing.

Therefore, it is our patriotic duty to vote our conscience up and down the ballot box. Our state representatives, city councilmen and school board members will have a lot more influence on our daily lives than Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. They are the ones who decide on matters such as construction projects, school budgets and other local issues. The presidential election may captivate national news headlines for the next several weeks, but it’s our regional elections that have instrumental impact on our future as millennials.

Likewise, our U.S. Senators and Congressmen are our voice in Washington, not the president. They’re the ones who vote on nationally debated legislation – so they too must not be forgotten, but instead utilized. Sometimes, they could be the difference between a two-thirds majority override or not. We cannot neglect their importance either, regardless of our unhappiness.

That is why my respective vote for Ryan Harmon and Mike Thibodeau for state house and state senate is just as important as my vote for president. They are the individuals who create, debate and make policies for my town and state, not the president.

And in many states, referendum questions are on the ballot that may in fact decide key issues locally. Here in my home state, we have six different measures, some of which include crucial decisions on minimum wage, marijuana legalization, background checks for firearm purchase and rank-choice voting. Those decisions are equally as and perhaps more important as who our commander-in-chief will be.

We cannot forget that our right to vote and to voice is our most sacred right as Americans. If you have a problem that you need addressed, you’re going to find it’s easier to contact a state representative or a school board member than a member of the executive office.

Of course, it sounds simplistic, but it is the purpose of our government. It’s why we have checks and balances and three separate branches. It’s why we have state legislatures and city councils. Our federal government wasn’t intend to be in our face all the time, hence the reason we dumped tea in the harbor.

I’m not asking you to join a local organization or attend every selectmen’s meeting. But I am asking you not to stay home in November just because you’re dissatisfied with two individuals. Our country is at stake all over the place, even if it’s just down the street.

In America, we are blessed with a voice on our future.

So let’s use it.