We all love to complain about the government, but most of us forfeit the right to do so. I’m not talking about the big federal or state/provincial races. I’m talking about local elections: the ones for cities, towns, counties, districts, and school boards. These are the races that directly shape our daily lives—yet they are the ones we skip the most. If you choose to be silent in these local races, you forfeit the right to complain about the decisions made by those put into office. With turnout often in the twenty to thirty-three percent range, this level of apathy is unacceptable. That needs to change.

I went to vote in the municipal elections this week and, after receiving my ballots for mayor and councillor, I asked about the Catholic school board. I had marked down that I was eligible to vote for that race, but the worker told me the seat was won by acclamation—elected without a vote—because only one person filed to run. Needless to say, I was disappointed. More than that, I was genuinely angry. That is the worst kind of silence: when an entire community cannot even field a second candidate to offer a choice. That level of civic apathy is simply pathetic.

Let me ask you this: who sets the property tax rate that affects your rent and local housing costs? Local government. Who determines the curriculum your child is taught and what books are in the school libraries? That’s the school board. Who handles essential services like police, fire, water, and sewage? Once again, it is local government. We are talking about critical issues that are often decided by as little as ten percent of the eligible voters! Want to complain about potholes and new bike lane construction? Then consider participating in the municipal elections first.

Journalists who write about local government should put their ballot where their pen is, and vote. The traditional view is that not voting helps them maintain impartiality or objectivity. I believe, in the age of the secret ballot, that is simply a false excuse. A journalist who doesn’t vote is not “neutral”—they are merely disengaged from the civic process they are paid to cover. How can you write a critical story about failing infrastructure or acclamation on the school board without having participated in the basic act of citizenship that shapes those very issues? If you don’t vote, your opinions and news articles should be taken the same way as a non-voting citizen’s complaint—completely disregarded and forgotten.

You might say, “I don’t vote because I don’t like any of the candidates,” or “I don’t like the system, so not voting is my protest.” In my humble opinion, this is completely wrong. Didn’t like any of the candidates? Then you should have actively helped someone else to run, or volunteered to help ensure the voting process goes smoothly. Don’t like the system? Find a candidate who is committed to changing it—and then vote for them! Your vote matters, especially in municipal elections where a candidate can win by a margin of just a few votes. Your vote (or lack thereof) is far louder in these local races than in any national one.

The municipal vote is not a luxury, but the key tool you have to change your local conditions. Stop seeing it as optional and start viewing it as a mandatory part of your civic duty to your fellow citizens. Don’t like the crowds on election day? Go and vote early, just as I did, and ignore the election news until the results come in. Always remember that in a local election, every single vote is worth more because so few people choose to participate. Therefore, the choice to be silent is the choice to forfeit your voice. If you want the right to complain, you must first earn it through the ballot, or by actively working to improve the system.

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