The dawning of election day is no doubt met with a mix of anxiety and relief. Finally, voters will have the chance to silence the long stream of rhetoric that defines politics.

For those communities that have local offices up for grabs, election day is particularly important. Those who are seeking offices for coroner, school board and others seats have deep roots in their home counties. Running for office on the local level, while often a popularity contest, involves individuals that everyone knows well. So character and the reputation to get things done figures into the election process, too.

A disturbing trend in local politics, and certainly at the state level, is the overextended reach of political parties trying to gather power. Voters have been bombarded with purposely skewed information that casting a vote for candidates in one party or another directly ties them to the positions of the national party. That means if you vote for a Democrat you are inviting President Obama to influence the direction of your community. If you vote for a Republican, you are leading your town or county down the road of Tea Party ultra-conservatism and repressive social and economic policies.

Everyone at the local level should realize that such publicity is nothing more than demagoguery, which is the act of playing on the fears of the public. The national parties are not going to dictate local political decisions of school boards, coroners, county commissioners and others who report to voters who are their neighbors. On the state level, the influence of political parties has been more of a decision of those elected to the state House and Senate than policymakers in the national organizations.

Elections offer voters the option to vote for the person, not the party. Those who argue about crossover voting simply want to take away voters’ independence. Voting is clearly an individual choice and the most valuable American right.

When you vote today, choose the individual you trust to do the best job. Straight-party voting is nothing more than a ploy to make voters feel guilty and to control power by political parties. Your judgment is valuable. Use it today and vote for the person you believe is qualified to best represent and serve the community.