I was driving through Northern California this week and passed a sign planted on someone’s cow pasture: “NO on Prop 15, protect family farms.” I’ve seen countless ads: “NO on 23,” “YES on 22,” “YES on 25.” People of our country are out there, begging to have their voices heard and amplified by 14-by-48 feet billboards and 30-second television spots.

It got me thinking about our upcoming election and how for some people, deciding to vote is often up in the air. Some believe their voice won’t make a difference. Some may even feel that by living in California, a non-swing state, our voices are chanting into an endless void of varying political opinions, like salmon swimming upstream. 

Voting in this presidential election is important; we are well-aware of that. But maybe it’s not the only thing we should be aware of. Many of the issues we care about can acquire real change right under our noses: climate change, economy, racial disparities, healthcare, worker’s rights. All of these issues are made evident in our state propositions, and major decisions our citizens can take part in are commonly overlooked.

I was mailed a voter packet that wrote out and detailed all the propositions, arguments for and against each item and phone numbers to call for further information. Even further, the resources needed to understand how your vote can change state legislation are readily available via the internet. If you can order sushi on Postmates, you are capable of Googling some election information. 

While we may want to think broadly and head straight to the White House, change isn’t always radical at the top. Change happens in numbers and remaining uncounted, even in levels as small as the city council, can take you out of the game completely.

Whatever your political views – “Yes” on this, “No” on that – the ballot propositions present another method for your voice to be heard. 

Let’s put it this way. When you’re out with friends on a Friday night and the host is asking what pizza toppings you want, are you just going to sit back and not vote for your choice? Maybe you’re nonpartisan to pizza toppings; you’re “that guy.” OK, sure. But perhaps you can’t stand pepperoni. Or what if your friend is allergic to pepperoni, so you will side with cheese-only to help a friend. Would you let the guests at the neighboring table decide for you and hope for the best? Probably not. 

When it comes to voting, the stakes are a lot higher than cheese or no cheese. We’re talking about people’s livelihoods and how your communities will operate in the future. You’re being given the option to have a voice: use it.