Election day is coming to Virginia — are you prepared? Make a plan for how you’ll make your voice heard using the key dates below.

If you’re not sure if or why you should vote, consider this: only around 50% or less of registered voters participate in non-presidential elections, which means every vote has a huge impact! This election decides who will be our Clerk for the next eight years, and it is also an important election for the entire state of Virginia. In addition to the critical local positions, 40 senators and 100 house members will be decided in the Commonwealth. That’s a whole lot! And these people will decide whether current Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin (who is considering a run for president) gets to enact unpopular, aggressive abortion-ban laws in Virginia. This is your chance to elect public servants who represent, prioritize and implement the needs of our communities instead of politicians who have no interest in serving the public and instead happily take orders from big corporations and billionaires in exchange for funding, exposure and power.

So, yes, your vote really counts! Make a plan to vote and bring along a friend or neighbor.