This coming Tuesday is Election Day. On Nov. 4, people across the country will head to the polls to reap the many rewards of voting in an election: the feeling of civic pride, the knowledge that you’ve made your voice heard, and (of course) an “I VOTED” sticker. In Oberlin, polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; although if you’re in line when the polls close, you have the right to cast a vote.

This year is an off-year election — there is no presidential race, and most voters will not cast a vote for a member of Congress either. Instead, most races on the ballot this year are low-profile down-ballot races. Nonetheless, I highly encourage you to vote this coming Tuesday. Down-ballot races affect your life much more than you may know, and your vote may have a much greater impact than you think.

If you’re not inclined to go vote in this year’s election, you’re not alone. Seventy-one percent of registered voters in Ohio actually voted in 2024, when the presidency was at stake. But only 49 percent of registered voters in Ohio actually voted in 2023, an off-year. This is understandable; down-ballot races certainly aren’t as exciting as a race for the presidency. And even if you’re not interested in politics, you probably know at least a little bit about each of the candidates for president, but you might not have even heard of some of the races on the bottom of your ballot. The result is that, as Vox reported in 2016, more than 30 percent of voters don’t complete their ballots. 

So why should you vote this year? First of all, your vote may have a real impact on the outcome of a race. There’s the sheer fact that your vote is much more likely to be decisive in a race with a couple thousand voters than in a race with millions of voters. For example, in 2017, an off year, an election for the Virginia House of Delegates was tied at exactly 11,607 votes for each candidate. The winner, David Yancey, was chosen by drawing a name from a bowl. Yancey’s election handed majority control of the House of delegates to his party — one vote could have swung the election the other way.

Now, it’s true that your vote is unlikely to be decisive even in an election with only a few thousand voters. Political scientists call this the paradox of voting. But if you are one of a few people who make the decision to vote when you otherwise wouldn’t, you stand a real chance of making lasting change. For instance, if you lean politically liberal, you may be interested to know that Democratic candidates suffer from “roll-off” at a much higher rate than Republican candidates: liberal voters vote for presidential and congressional elections, but leave down-ballot races blank. Make sure to vote during down-ballot races when you have the opportunity, and you can be influential in getting liberal candidates elected. That said, in a purple county like Lorain County — the only county in Ohio to vote for both Trump and Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown in 2024 — your vote can be meaningful in a down-ballot race no matter what your political inclinations are.

Voting in down-ballot races is an excellent way to make your voice heard about issues that will affect your day-to-day life. This isn’t to say that national politics doesn’t affect our day-to-day lives. But down-ballot elections are held to decide, for instance, who runs the schools, how much you have to pay in sales tax when you buy something, and who will preside over your case if you end up in court. So, it’s a good idea to read about who’s in the running to be on the Board of Education, why the Board of County Commissioners wants to raise the sales tax, and who’s running for judge in the Oberlin municipal court. The Oberlin Review’s 2025 voter guide, written by my good friend Cole Mirman and available on page 3 of the print version of this edition, is an excellent starting point.

I encourage you to make a plan to vote in this election, whether you see it as your civic duty, there’s an issue you particularly care about, or you simply want to make your voice heard. Bring your friends to the polling station, and make sure to bring the form of ID you’ll need to get your vote counted. I envision a world where the poll workers have to order truckloads more “I VOTED” stickers than they initially planned on. With your help, we can make that world a reality.