As we enter this election season and begin the rev up for the November 2020 presidential election, let me remind you that there are still a lot of seats that will be decided, not in November, but in March.­

Not only do we have a presidential primary that will determine who will be the presidential nominee for each party, but we also have local elections and measures that need to be paid attention to.

While it is exciting and I am not doubting the importance of being aware of what is going on with the presidential primary race and the eventual presidential race, it is also important to be aware that there are local elections at play.

Local elections, though not as sexy as congressional or presidential elections, are extremely important. The policies that will have the most direct impact on you and your community are decided by locally elected officials like city council members and mayors.­

It is especially important to be cognizant of the local races going on around us because there are some important seats up for grabs. Take the Fresno mayoral race for example. Mayor Lee Brand will be stepping down after one term, and he has two prominent candidates vying for his seat.­

Jerry Dyer and Andrew Janz stand as the leading candidates, both of whom are running very competitive and dog-eat-dog campaigns. Each candidate has raised a lot of money and thrown a lot of shade.

Regardless of their political party or political strategy, however, each candidate has the chance to directly impact what happens in the city of Fresno for the next four years if elected. With this in mind, it is important for voters to pay attention to the platforms and campaign promises each candidate is proposing.

So, as you sit down to fill out your ballot on or before March 3, do not just focus on filling in the presidential candidate and then be willy-nilly about the remaining election candidates. Do your research, find out what each candidate’s history is and make it a point to pick the candidate that speaks to you and what you want for your community.­

The presidential election will determine the path of the nation, but local elections determine the path of our own hometowns and communities. So do yourself and your community a favor, pay attention to the local races and become an educated voter.

All you need to do is Google a person, measure or proposition, and you will get the answers you need to make an informed voting decision.