Have you voted today? Have you rushed to the polls at the crack of dawn, or do you intend to wait until the last minute?

Perhaps you aren’t voting at all. You could be one of those apathetic whiners who think this election offers nothing of substance.

“I’m gonna sit this one out,” you say. “There’s nothing in this for me.”

I beg to differ. No, I’m not going to lecture you on why the battle between Sen. John Kerry and President Bush is “crucial” to the future of this generation. I’m just going to state what I believe is the obvious: Add local and state races to the equation, and the reasons for voting expand substantially.

Let’s look at where our local candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives stand on the issues. For example, many gays and lesbians, along with their close friends and relatives, feel no connection to the presidential race, as both candidates are taking a moderate stance on the issue of same-sex marriage. That is hardly the case in this congressional race.

According to the 2004 Congressional National Political Awareness Test, Republican incumbent Timothy Johnson opposes not only same-sex marriage, but also the right of same-sex couples to form civil unions. This is a radical way of looking at equal rights – even President Bush has come out and said he supports civil unions.

His opponent, Democratic candidate Dr. David Gill, could not be further from Johnson on this issue. Dr. Gill, aside from supporting civil unions, also believes that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. If I were someone who cared about the happiness of my gay friend or family member, I would vote today based on this congressional race alone.

Maybe you’re willing to go to the polls solely because of the Chief Illiniwek issue. If so, you’ll find three candidates in the state representative race who each have different views on the Chief. In a debate recently held on campus, Republican candidate Deborah Feinen said she supports the Chief, while Socialist Equality candidate Thomas Mackaman said he was in favor of retiring the Chief.

What about the students who are completely apathetic about the Chief and think it is pathetic that we still discuss it? Then Democratic incumbent Naomi Jakobsson is your candidate. During the debate, Jakobsson said she does not believe the Chief is relevant to a debate on political policy. Call it cowardice, but when it comes to the Chief, I say Jakobsson best represents the “I don’t give a damn” demographic. And believe it or not, that’s a pretty significant constituency.

There are important ballot measures to consider as well. One measure will ask voters to approve a tax of up to 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation and to create a three-member Developmental Disabilities Board to distribute the $2.5 million it would raise annually. The money raised would fund services for the growing number of developmentally disabled children and adults in Champaign County. I’d say an issue like this deserves your vote.

Are you someone who is concerned that the office of the Champaign County Clerk, run by a member of one particular political party, is in charge of overseeing this election? If so, there is a referendum on the ballot to decide whether a three-member bipartisan election commission should be formed that would essentially strip election duties away from the county clerk’s office.

This election is more than “Kerry vs. Bush.” There are a number of candidates and issues on the ballot that affect our county and deserve your attention. Think about that before “sitting this one out.

Jon Monteith is a sophomore in LAS. His columns run Tuesdays. He can be reached at [email protected].