For weeks, candidate ads have dominated television viewing. Text messages and phone calls are nonstop. Yard signs are popping up like my late-season tomatoes.

Much of this messaging is for candidates who will serve in Washington, D.C., or in the state House. While that part of the ballot is important, the most direct and immediate impact on your daily life comes from elections on the local level.

In small towns, people who are elected to the city council, school board, county board and other local entities make decisions with a big impact. Decisions like the quality of the roads you drive on or the water you drink, what curricula are covered in school, when the pool is open during the summer and how your tax dollars are spent.

Your voice matters. Your vote matters.

In our rural communities, often a small number of voters end up choosing local leaders. Sometimes the numbers come down to a single digit. These leaders will make decisions on that pothole, new fire truck, snow removal or county road maintenance.

Before Nov. 3, take a look at the ballot. Sample ballots can be found on the county website or in your local newspaper. Ask questions. Listen to what candidates say. Look at what they have done.

You don’t need to know everything about every candidate. You don’t need to personally know everyone who is running. You just need to pay attention.

On Election Day, when you fill in those circles, keep in mind this is your vote. It doesn’t belong to your neighbor. It doesn’t belong to your family. You matter.

Make voting a priority this year.

Heidi Kolbeck-Urlacher is a policy director with the Center for Rural Affairs. Founded in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening small businesses, family farms and ranches and rural communities through action-oriented programs that address social, economic and environmental issues.