We once knew a man who assessed his influence at home this way: “My wife handles the little stuff — disciplining the kids, handling the money, making sure all of us are fed and clothed. I make the important decisions, like whether the U.S. should abandon the space shuttle program.”

Too many voters are like that man we knew. They weigh in on the “big” issues by voting in state and national elections but stay at home when their city officials are being elected, city officials who will affect their lives each day by deciding what their tax rates will be, how well their streets will be maintained and how many police officers and firefighters will be on duty to keep everyone’s homes and families safe.

We have never been able to figure that out.

We are as concerned about state, national and international affairs as anyone. Voting in state and national elections is both a privilege and a duty, and every elector owes it to him/herself to cast a vote when governors, legislators, congressional representatives and presidents are elected. Though these officials may be far away, they make decisions that impact the lives of everyone eventually, though not immediately, and not every day.

Why, then, do so many of us who never miss an opportunity to vote for these state, national and international leaders pass on the opportunity to elect the leaders whose decisions will affect our lives immediately, every day and close to home?

We have heard some semi-pro cynics snort that voting in local elections makes no difference, that the “same old crowd” is firmly in control. That argument is ridiculous.

If one vote among millions can make a difference in a presidential election, one vote among thousands can make an even bigger difference locally. No voter is more powerful than when he or she votes in a local election.

We have heard other people scoff at local government and politics as not worthy of their attention. They are more interested in the “big picture” of national and international developments, they sniff condescendingly.

They make us wonder what they’ve been sniffing. What can be more important than police and fire protection for one’s family? How can recognition of some tin-pot dictatorship in Central America be of more consequence than fair housing and safety-conscious building codes in our own neighborhoods?

The people we elect to local office are dealing with issues just as complicated, just as divisive and just as important to us as those dealt with by congressmen and presidents, and we will feel the result of their deliberations sooner, and probably more intensely, than we will those made in Austin or Washington.

All of which is to say, today is election day. Cities all over Denton County are electing mayors and town and city council members. It has been an unusually sprightly campaign season, with energetic candidates and lively debate. All indications point to a reversal of the dismal trend toward low voter turnout in local elections.