Why You Should Vote Feb. 17

This letter to the editor, by Pam Fricke, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on February 5, 2026.

Unhappy with the way things are in our community and the country? Probably the most important action we can take to create change is to vote. This year, we have four critical elections. Not all are as big as the mid-term elections this November, but every election is critical.

The first election where we can exercise our vote is the primary, coming up Tuesday, Feb. 17. Many folks blow off primaries, but these elections, which unfortunately have lower turnout, are where you can make a big difference. It stands to reason: the lower the turnout, the more impact your vote will have.

If you’ve requested a mail ballot, you should already have it in hand, as they went out Jan. 27. If you didn’t request a mail ballot but still want to vote early, you can call your town or township clerk to vote early.

So what’s on the ballot? Any seats that have more than two candidates. Candidates for city, township, county and school board contests could be on the ballot. To find out what’s on your ballot, go to myvote.wi.gov and enter your name and address.

Voting is your opportunity to do your part to save our democracy.