To the Editor,

As early voting has begun and Election Day grows near, political advertising is all around: merchandise, yard signs, flags, and nearly every commercial on TV. Presidential and statewide candidates have become household names. But there are many races on the ballot that are less talked about that may have an even greater day-to-day impact on your life.

In Weirton, all city council seats and mayor are on the ballot. City council members establish priorities for the city government, create an annual budget, and respond to constituent needs/complaints. The mayor is the Chief Executive of the city–presiding over council meetings, appointing members of advisory boards/commissions/committees, and assisting in policy decisions.

In both Hancock County and Brooke County, sheriff is on the ballot. The sheriff is the county’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer and Treasurer (tax collection, financial transactions, etc.).

In Hancock County, there are two levies on the ballot: a renewal of the Hancock County Sheltered Workshop levy and a proposed bond levy to improve school infrastructure, security, and safety.

Statewide, there is a ballot measure that would put the prohibition of physician-assisted suicide (a practice presently illegal in West Virginia) into the state Constitution.

Two races in particular that play a large role in our lives are that of the West Virginia House of Delegates and West Virginia Senate. Together, they make up the West Virginia Legislature, a group of 134 people that have significant power over what happens in the state. The state legislature decides on issues such as tax policy, education standards, and public safety laws. They are the ones in charge of determining the legality of cannabis use, reproductive healthcare, books bans, vaccine requirements, right-to-work laws, firearm possession, and more. They have recently passed policies such as allowing the one-time transfer between schools without losing a year of athletic eligibility, cutting the personal income tax, and reducing unemployment benefits. With almost any issue you can think of, the state legislature likely can have some impact on it.

These elections are not predetermined. In the 2024 Spring Primary Election, Connie Cain won the Ward 3 seat on Wheeling’s City Council by only 3 votes. Nearly every cycle, local elections are decided by handfuls of votes. Every single vote matters.

If your vote didn’t matter, people wouldn’t try so hard to take it away from you.

Vote on or before November 5th–all the way down the ballot–to create a brighter future for all West Virginians.

Olivia Dowler

Candidate for WV House of Delegates, District 2