It's important to vote in upcoming primary

On March 17, Illinois will hold its primary election. This primary election is set to be one for the history books. With the country more divided than ever and a milelong list of names for presidential nominee on the Democratic side, it is important for people to get out and vote at the national level. However, we mustn't forget about the elections happening at the local level.

Voting is especially crucial for local races such as Congressional District races, no matter how competitive the race is. The congressional branch has an immense impact on our daily lives. Under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, Congress is the branch that writes and passes legislation. Legislation passed by Congress can be seen everywhere in our lives, on the roadways, in our factories, in our homes, at our schools, in our supermarkets, etc.

When we are voting in the congressional races, we are voting directly for our representatives, thus we are indirectly voting for the legislation we want passed as citizens of the United States. Even if the race isn't competitive, when you vote for the candidate (should you choose to support them), you are maintaining their political legitimacy. In order to be taken seriously, the representative needs to be have people behind them, they need to have political legitimacy

No matter how competitive or big the election, voter participation is crucial to maintaining democracy and upholding our freedoms that the Founding Fathers of our nation fought for. So get out there and vote on March 17.

Andrew Brizzell

Mundelein