S-N Editorial

It's often said that all politics is local. While true, it could also be argued that our democracy is rooted in the individual.

Two recent examples drive home that participation certainly matters. On Monday, the U.S. Census Bureau released state-by-state population counts. Since our decennial tally determines which states get how many seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, new numbers were released for Congress as well. Texas gained two seats while Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina and Oregon each added one. California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia all decreased by one apiece.

New York's loss was the most interesting. The Empire State fell 89 people short of retaining all 27 of its House seats, and instead will dip to 26. You could probably find 89 people in Manhattan alone who pitched their census form instead of filling it out. While one seat may not seam like much, many New Yorkers are cringing at the loss – representation matters.

Iowa retained all four of its seats in Congress, but you don't have to look far to find an example of democratic participation falling short here in the Hawkeye State.

In November, Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks squeaked out a six-vote win against Rita Hart in Iowa's Second Congressional District. Recounts and challenges reaffirmed Miller-Meeks' win despite a compelling case from her opponent, and she now holds the seat once and for all. There are no doubt dozens of Democrats in eastern Iowa kicking themselves for not taking the time to vote.

It's easy to forget how important individual participation is in the democratic process. We see vote totals in the hundreds of thousands – or even millions, depending on the race – and think our single ballot is meaningless in a sea of others. But as New York's census tally and the race for Iowa's Second Congressional District prove, every person counts.

The next time you think it's not important to fill out the census or cast your vote, flush that thought right down the toilet. Your participation in the process matters more than you know.