The presidential race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump has dominated headlines, but local elections are where real change happens, especially for students at Columbia College. From criminal justice to abortion rights, the choices we make at the polls have direct consequences for our community and city.

The state’s attorney race in Cook County is just one example. This position oversees criminal justice in our community, including racial justice and the prosecution of young offenders. Democratic candidate Eileen O’Neill Burke and Republican candidate Bob Fioretti are both promising significant changes if elected, but only we, the voters, can hold them accountable for what direction they take.

O’Neill Burke is a former judge in the Illinois Appellate Court, known for her work in the judiciary, while Fioretti is a Chicago-based attorney and former alderman, mostly involved in city politics and legal issues.

The state’s attorney decides how cases of gun violence are prosecuted, which directly affects the safety of students commuting to campus, living in dorms or navigating the city’s windy streets. As young people, we are especially at risk. Over 46% of all homicide victims in Chicago are under the age of 30. We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines, especially as students.

Both candidates for the state’s attorney office have pledged to target youth crime, from carjackings to smash-and-grab robberies. O’Neill Burke wants to focus on rehabilitation programs for youth offenders, while Fioretti aims for stricter prosecution, including holding parents accountable. This is not a distant issue, it’s happening right here and now in our neighborhoods.

O’Neill Burke proposes to create a Choice Protection Unit to defend Illinois’ abortion laws at a crucial time when reproductive rights are under attack nationwide. Meanwhile, Fioretti wants to cooperate with ICE in prosecuting migrants, which contrasts sharply with Chicago’s sanctuary city status. 

That’s why the Chronicle is endorsing Eileen O’Neil Burke for state’s attorney. 

Despite the importance of these issues, voter turnout among young people is depressingly low. In the March primary that saw O’Neill Burke advance as the Democratic candidate, only 3.22% of 18- to 24-year-olds cast a ballot. That’s extremely low when you consider the fact that we are the generation most affected by these decisions. As Columbia Votes “voter genius” Tyler Harding told the Chronicle, “It’s really important that you get someone into that office that recognizes humanity, that recognizes the historical divestments in Black and Brown communities here in Cook County.”

Local elections have the power to shape our future, determine the safety of our streets and decide issues like racial justice and reproductive rights. Yet, these are the elections many young people ignore. We must do better especially if we want a better future. 

We spend our days at Columbia College by using our voices and learning to make an impact on the world. But real change starts with taking action at the ballot box. Local elections give us the chance to directly influence policies that matter to us, from how we’re policed to how we’re protected.

If we want to see a safer, more just Chicago, we need to start by showing up for the elections that count the most.

Copy edited by Manuel Nocera