When we last wrote about an election in this space, it was in the heat of perhaps the ugliest and most polarizing presidential race most of us have ever seen.

And while no-holds-barred politics like we saw in the campaign for the White House can be entertaining, albeit in a Jerry Springer sort of way, the truth is that our president and that person’s policies has only a limited effect on our day-to-day lives.

The elections that hold the most impact are the ones that happen right here in our backyard, where people who are from here seek the opportunity to try and guide our area to prosperity.

Today’s primary election doesn’t have races for president, Congress, the governorship or even any seats in the state legislature. But it does have people — local people — running for local office.

We can’t stress enough that what your borough’s council or your township’s supervisors and the local school board does is the most likely government action to have an immediate impact on you. It’s important to not only vote today for who you think should be making those key decisions, but to also know what decisions those people are most likely to make should they be fortunate enough to be chosen by the voters.

It’s true that no one is actually elected to anything today, as this is purely a nomination contest for the general election this November. But for some races, the primary is a de facto general election as all the candidates on the ballot are from the same party.

That’s why it’s important to make sure those of you who are registered find time to visit your local polling place today and cast your ballot.

The people who are eventually selected to hold office will hold great power and tremendous responsibility. Don’t you want a say in who those people will be?