When you go to the polls this year, you won’t be voting for president.
But the races you are voting for will actually have a much bigger impact on your everyday life.
For example, your decision in May (and again in November) will help decide whether your taxes go up or down.
Voters will get the chance to weigh in on a U.S. Senate race, along with potential congressional and state legislative seats, but it’s the local city and county races that Shane Noem, a lobbyist and the chair of the Kenton County Republican Party, said will have the biggest immediate impact.
“Get involved in your school board and city meetings because that has an impact on your life and your kids’ life in a direct way,” Noem said. “Cities and school boards raise taxes higher and faster and lower them faster than any other body of government.”
Healthcare and education are two of the biggest issues that are on Kentuckians’ minds right now, Noem said.
“A lot of our elections are going to be focused on who can right the ship in a big way,” Noem said. “And the issues that matter the most to Kentuckians right now are health and education.”
Another thing to keep in mind in Northern Kentucky is just how many elected bodies there are. In just LINK nky’s coverage area, there are three counties, 13 school districts and 36 cities and municipalities.
One key is making sure that the people we elect into office next year work well together, said Trey Grayson, an attorney and former Kentucky secretary of state.
When it comes to things like housing, transportation and workforce, Grayson said, the best approach for NKY is to work from a regional basis.
“I think that regionalism is going to kind of be on the ballot,” Grayson said.
Things like housing or transportation can’t be solved within city limits, so Grayson’s recommendation for voters is to pay attention to whether candidates prioritize regionalism and working together – or not.
“Housing doesn’t stop at a city or a county line,” Grayson said.
Zoning decisions and policies affect much more than just one city or county, and so do the solutions that could help fill the housing needs in our area.
Voters, Grayson said, need to make sure they are communicating what they want to see out of their elected officials to candidates, door-knocking or out in public.
Right now, Grayson said, Northern Kentucky has elected officials who work together pretty well to solve regional problems. If that is something voters want to continue, they will need to be aware of the priorities of who they are voting for.
“Making sure we are communicating that to the candidates, and then choosing candidates who prioritize those things,” Grayson said.
Then there’s AI. Yes, how you vote next year will affect that, too.
With U.S. senate and congressional races happening next year, along with state legislative seats up for grabs, whoever is voted into office is going to be creating the policies that regulate AI in the years to come.
Because AI has been relatively ubiquitous thus far, Grayson said, there aren’t policies that currently exist. But they will need to be made in the coming years.
“Whoever wins these races, they’re going to be in the position to set some of these initial policies that have never existed before,” Grayson said.
For everything from who is running to important dates and deadlines, stay up to date on all things election at NKY’s Election Headquarters.