Today is Election Day here in the US, and I was looking at my ballot and realizing how many of the local measures are the ones that actually hit my wallet — things like school levies, transit funding, and local tax proposals. I usually pay most attention to the big national races, but this year I'm trying to read up on the smaller stuff too, since that's what can change my rent, bills, and commute costs. Are you all paying attention to those local measures, or do you mostly focus on the national races? Curious what you're voting on that could affect your household budget.
Local measures are easy to skip but often matter most for a household budget: school levies and bonds show up in property taxes (and often in rent), and transit measures can change fares and service. Most counties publish a nonpartisan voter guide with a plain-language summary and the estimated cost per year for a typical home, which makes comparing them much quicker. If you haven't voted yet, polls in most states close in the evening, and anyone in line at closing time can still vote.
Update for anyone following: AP, NBC and Reuters all report Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate, and AP says high prices were one of voters' top frustrations. Local measures often take longer, since mail ballots keep getting counted for days after Election Day, so check your county elections website for the latest totals on levies and transit measures before assuming they passed or failed.