With the constant stream of media coverage and casual conversation about the national election, it can be hard to remember that the race for the presidency is only one facet of voting day.

Local elections are numerous and important, despite their comparatively slim amount of election coverage.

The most expensive Senate race in the country, for instance, is taking place between Pennsylvania’s own Katie McGinty and incumbent Pat Toomey. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Super PACs and other outside groups spent around $61 million supporting or attacking Toomey and McGinty through Oct. 6.

It’s sometimes difficult to see the impact of these races on daily life, but as Toomey is one of the few Republicans willing to discuss gun control, whether you vote to keep him or not becomes a more pressing question. He was also one of the Senators partisanly blocking Merrick Garland’s path to the Supreme Court.

Weighing these issues with your personal values is important, more important than voting along party lines.

State races are important, too. State legislatures determine, among other things, whether or not marijuana legislation will pass in Pennsylvania.

A state legislature voted in North Carolina’s oppressive anti-transgender bathroom bill. Thirty-seven states legalized same sex marriage before the Supreme Court did.

Sweeping nation-wide social change is created and sustained by local action, and that includes voting.

So research your local candidates. Find out what they stand for and what they’ve already done to make their platform a reality. Don’t blindly vote for one party or the other or wait until you’re already in the booth and make decisions based on recall (there’s a reason people spend billions on campaign ads). We’re lucky enough to live in a city with left- and right-leaning newspapers, and reading about local elections is a good way to take your mind off the national election.

A few minutes on the internet is all it takes to get an idea of what your local candidates stand for. Make sure all of your decisions on election day are well-informed and based in fact.