Will you participate on Tuesday or accept sitting 'on your blisters'?

Before the dust of the midterm elections settles completely, Illinoisans across the metropolitan area and the state at large are poised to elect their local representatives on Tuesday, from mayor to school board to trustee, and more.

Much of the attention locally, and even nationally, has been cast upon the city of Chicago, which is on the cusp of making history with the election of the city's first African-American female mayor. This is certainly a significant accomplishment for the nation's third-largest city, which has long wrestled with issues of racial and economic marginalization of many of its citizens.

But in many ways, no level of government is more impactful on a community than local government. Local government affects almost every aspect of one's daily life, from the quality of community schools to policing and public safety. Despite the decidedly lower profile of the average local election, the candidates on the ballot are no less important, nor are the issues being contested.

Inevitably, election season prompts countless discussions of anemic voter participation and cynicism about the power of one's vote. Despite the myriad candidates' forums hosted by organizations like the League of Women Voters of Illinois and others, encouraging voters to participate in their local elections can often be very challenging. But participation in municipal elections is more crucial than ever. Historically, many landmark federal policies originated at the local level, including women's suffrage, minimum wage and certain environmental issues. Moreover, when things stall at the federal level, local governments frequently step in to take action.

In the past few years, there has been an appreciable increase in the number of candidates running for office. In suburban Cook and surrounding counties, there is an abundance of local races being contested, many more than in past years. In Mundelein Elementary School District 75's first contested election since 2003, seven candidates are running for three school board seats. Nine candidates are running for three seats on Buffalo Grove's village board, in a battle over experience versus new blood. And in the city of Elgin, 10 candidates are vying for five seats on the City Council, a fact likely attributable to a strong sense of volunteerism and public service in the city.

What is needed most, however, is a similar uptick in the number of citizens casting their ballots. By voting in local elections, citizens can help create the change they want to see in their towns, while holding their current representatives accountable to their constituents. More importantly, with a much slimmer margin of victory in a local election, a single vote often makes the difference in a hotly contested race.

Ultimately, citizens must understand that if they do not vote for their own interests, no one else will. Addressing voter apathy, Illinois' first president, Abraham Lincoln, said it best: "Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will have to sit on their blisters."

Audra Wilson, of Chicago, is executive director of the League of Women Voters of Illinois, a 3,000-member branch of the national League of Women Voters. The League is a nonpartisan, civic engagement group that seeks to influence public policy through education and advocacy.