RALEIGH -- All politics is local," said Tip O'Neill, longtime speaker of the U.S. House.
But when it comes to media coverage and voter excitement, our attention is often most intensely fixated on contests for the White House, U.S. Senate or the governor's mansion, while we sometimes ignore key races closer to home.
That could be the case this year for many voters across North Carolina. While the Tar Heel State turned out in force for the 2008 presidential contest, the voting booths could be sadly silent when it comes to local elections this fall.
Even though North Carolina set a record high turnout in 2008 at 70 percent, this year's participation -- which is always lower in non-presidential election years -- could plummet to the roughly 11 percent turnout seen in Wake County in 2007.
It doesn't have to be that way.
Local elections may lack the high-dollar ads and celebrity endorsements of national campaigns, but they often have a greater impact on our personal lives than any contest for the Oval Office. Such seemingly mundane races as those for city council or school board affect such vital aspects of life as the water we drink, the neighborhoods we live in and the schools our children attend.
The specter of low voter turnout in this year's local elections could be avoided if voters have the facts they need to cast a confident ballot. Research by the N.C. Center for Voter Education shows that the No. 1 reason why voters don't go to the polls is not apathy, but simply because they don't feel they know enough about the candidates.
One great source for information on local candidates comes from local newspapers. Another way for voters to learn about this year's candidates is by visiting www.NCVoterGuide.org, an online voter guide featuring candidate profiles and audio statements, along with facts about voting. The guide is created in a partnership between the N.C. Center for Voter Education and UNC-TV.
For many voters, the local election season may have sneaked up on them, with the smoldering health-care debate in Washington, D.C. and the rush to get kids back to school. Fortunately, it's not too late to register and vote in this year's contests.
Until Oct. 3, Cary and Raleigh voters can register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time by visiting the Wake County Board of Elections office at 337 S. Salisbury St. in downtown Raleigh.
And from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3 early voting and same-day registration will be available at the Herbert C. Young Community Center, at 101 Wilkinson Ave. in downtown Cary.
Election Day for both Raleigh and Cary is Tuesday, Oct. 6.
With facts on the candidates readily available at www.NCVoterGuide.org and same-day registration making voting convenient, there's no excuse not to cast a ballot in this year's contests. Indeed, our votes will never carry as much weight as they do in local elections.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt once observed, "Nobody will ever deprive the American people the right to vote except the American people themselves -- and the only way they could do this is by not voting."
Our right to vote is a gift, the price for which is still being paid by patriots at home and abroad. If we are to honor that gift, we must exercise it -- not only in a ballyhooed presidential contest, but also in local elections with much less fanfare, yet just as much at stake.
Let's get the facts on the candidates, then let's go vote.
Bryan Warner is the director of communications with the North Carolina Center for Voter Education, a Raleigh-based nonpartisan organization.
