Election Day will be here before you know it. I got a flyer in the mail the other day telling me I can vote early. Sounds like shades of Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago — vote early, vote often! But I’ll wait til Election Day. I don’t want my vote disqualified for some phony witch hunt or fake news event.

Seriously, voting is serious business. We all look forward to the presidential elections (some of us anyway) and the high profile elections of senators and representatives. But you know, as interesting as those elections are, they really don’t impact our daily lives as much as the local elections. So few people turn out to vote for their local officials, and those are the people who can actually get something done in your area.

Democracy is a fragile thing. You have to work for it. “The fundamentals of democracy, particularly regular and honest elections, a free media, the rule of law and the rights of minorities, are under attack around the world. The dismantling of freedom begins with attacks on … unfettered media, an independent judiciary, a basic level of respect for political opponents. Freedom in not devoured in one gulp, but in a series of bit-size chunks.” Andrew Rawnsley.

We have grown complacent with our freedoms and oftentimes take them for granted. I am as guilty as anyone of making elections a popularity contest, rather than finding out what candidates really stand for. I have never been one to vote the party line, and I haven’t spent a lot of time getting to know the issues either.

I don’t claim to be an expert on political platforms, but I am taking more notice as I get older. We are told every vote counts.

It’s hard to believe that when we have gerrymandering, the practice of drawing the boundaries of electoral districts so that one party has an unfair advantage over another, and the Electoral College, which can, and does, override the popular vote at times.

Be that as it may, our vote DOES count in every local and state election. Be aware of what offices are up for election. Take note of candidates running for office in your town or village. Make an effort to familiarize yourself with who stands for what. Be informed.

Just to help you out a bit, I am including some federal, state and local office holders and their contact numbers. Make your wishes known to your elected officials. If you don’t like what they’re doing, let them know. If enough people are dissatisfied, you can “fire” them. They work for you!

¯ Sen. Chuck Schumer (716) 846-4111.

¯ Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (202) 224-4451.

¯ U.S. Rep. Tom Reed (716)708-6369.

¯ Assemblyman Andrew Goodell (716) 664-7773.

¯ Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello (716) 753-4211.

Robyn Near is a Ripley resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com