As you’ve been reminded of ad nauseam by this point, the presidential election is NOVEMBER 8—-> TODAY. That means if you haven’t voted early or by mail, this is your last chance to voice your choice for our country’s next commander in chief.

President is an important vote, to be sure, but do you know what else is on your ballot? When I showed up to vote early over the weekend, my ballot was four pages long. That’s a whole lot of choices in addition to president. Judges, sherif, county commissioner, city commissioner, proposed amendments to the state constitution, and local tax issues… it was all there. The thing about most of these other items, is that none of them have near the funds that the presidential campaigns do, in other words, you probably won’t see many TV commercials, billboards, or online ads about them. This means that unless you spend a few minutes researching what else is on your ballot beforehand or just happen to be an ultra politically involved individual, you’re not likely to recognize most of the names or issues once you get past president.

But guess what, these unknowns matter, possibly even more than president. Remember back in middle school when you learned all about the United States government? Remember how one of the things that makes this country so great is “checks and balances”? You know, that thing that keeps the president, or any arm of government from complete control? Remember how the founders of our country fought so that we could have the right to elect all those other people in addition to president? THOSE PEOPLE are on the ballot. And as I already said, they matter.

Same with things like constitutional amendments and local proposals such as tax issues. These are the sort of items that can have a quick and direct impact on your daily life in the short term, perhaps even more so than our next president is. [For example, there’s a really important solar issue on the ballot in Florida – Amendment 1. This is an ultra-deceptive proposal backed by over $25 million from the power company monopolies and their special interest groups. It’s designed to sound pro-solar but is actually the opposite. It is CRUCIAL that Florida voters take a moment to research this, and other issues on the ballot, so that they can make an informed decision. In this case, vote NO on 1! You can get get more info at http://www.VoteNoOn1.org]

It’s SUPER EASY to do your research before you head to the polls. Check out Vote411. You can look up your specific ballot based on your voting district in less than 10 seconds, get information about the races, candidates, and even create a sample ballot that you could print and take with you when you go to cast your vote.

Do it. Your country, state, and city’s future all thank you.