HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Presidential elections might be the name of the game during the election cycle, but local officials say city and county elections can have a bigger impact on your daily life.
The Madison County probate judge Frank Barger said, "All of those positions set policy and oversee business operations in our community. They direct what our community is going to look like from a business perspective, a growth perspective an education perspective. It's important that folks get out and vote."
And the League of Women Voters' president, Kathy Jones, stressed the importance she saw in voting.
"This is really the most important thing we can do as citizens, is to show up and vote," Jones said. She added that it's critical to keep calm when in a long line at the polls.
"We just need to not get anxious and not get aggravated," she said. "Realize that everybody else is in the same situation that you are. They're here, they're wanting to vote, and that's the right of every American citizen."
And in downtown Huntsville, some voters said they're already prepared to show up and cast their ballots as soon as the polls open.
Local voter Romil Patel said, "The state of the country, I think, is very stressful and tense right now. I think there's a lot of uncertainty in the air."
Another voter, Charles Wood, said the candidates that voters get to choose from aren't always the two best.
"The United States could do better," Wood said, adding, "I mean, I think we could."
No matter the election's outcome, some will celebrate. Others will shake their heads. But history tells us that the nation will move forward in the end.
"We're going to be able to sustain whatever gets thrown at us, just like all the different things that have been thrown at us," Patel said. "For many years, we have sustained. I think we're going to be just fine as a country."
Making sure your voice is heard is why it's important to hit the polls on election day. It's also important to plan accordingly and make sure you're in line to vote before the polls close. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 5, and public transport does not take special routes to polling locations.