It's true! The town of West Jefferson in Ashe County had a tie for the position of alderman, which is a city council position. So, to decide who won, they had to flip a coin! And they weren't alone - several races in North Carolina in 2020 came down to 15 or fewer votes.
You may have heard that voting is pointless because your vote won’t matter anyway. As the 2020 election shows, this isn’t true at all! Your vote matters because it could be the vote that decides who wins and who loses. It is important to vote even when some of the races in your area are not considered competitive. Voting is your chance to have your voice heard by your government, and more votes is a louder signal, so let them hear it!
This is because, as the example from West Jefferson shows, fewer people vote in elections for mayor, city council, county commissioner, and other local positions. And these positions are important! They decide everything from how much to spend on schools to where houses and businesses are permitted to be located. Your voice can be heard even louder in local races!
Some are for federal office (such as the US Senate or US House) or state office (such as Supreme Court Justice, NC State Senate or NC State House). You may also be asked to vote for local offices (such as district or county), nonpartisan offices, or referenda. Make sure you exercise your right to vote in all of these important races! Many people only vote for the “big” races, such as federal or statewide office, which means your vote is especially influential in “down ballot” races.