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Decatur, Ga. – You might think your vote doesn’t matter, and if you are voting in District 2 in today’s City of Decatur elections, you are absolutely right.

City Manager Peggy Merriss said during the Nov. 4 City Commission meeting that even though one race in the city will be contested, DeKalb County will have to open all the precincts. Merriss said if all the races had been uncontested, there would’ve been no municipal election this year.

The only contested race in the city of Decatur this year is District 1, Post A.

Mark Arnold and Lewis Jones are running for that job. To figure out what district you live in, click here.

Every other race is unopposed, meaning voters in District 2 will only see one name on their ballots. That means the Oakhurst, Winnona Park and Renfroe precincts will be faced with a difficult decision.

Voters in District 2 can choose between incumbent Commissioner Patti Garrett, incumbent BOE Member Bernadette Jackson Seals, and unopposed At Large school board candidate Anne Peirce Caiola or their opponents: Patti Garrett, Bernadette Jackson Seals and Anne Peirce Caiola.

Elections cost money. Even with the unopposed races on the ballot, DeKalb County will have to pay poll workers today. Seeing as it’s your tax money being spent anyway, you might consider voting in District 2 just for the hell of it.

This sounds corny, but elections are important. Local elections get the least attention but can affect your life more than federal elections. Local governments can raise taxes on your property and decide where your kids attend school.  Your federal representatives can’t even agree on whether government should function or not.

Also, if a couple of our military conflicts had gone the wrong way, we’d probably be toasting kings instead of filling out our ballots. Veterans Day is on Nov. 11. Do it for them, if you need some motivation.

You’ll get a cool sticker out of the deal. You might even cheer up a lonely poll worker.

Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To figure out your voting precinct, enter your information at the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page by clicking here.

Remember to bring a valid form of ID, like your driver’s license, or passport. (To find out more about acceptable forms of ID, click here.)

If you have any other questions, you might want to check out the city’s 2013 elections page by clicking here. It includes maps, names of the candidates and other election info.

Flex those democracy muscles. Vote anyway.