Compared to other states, it can sometimes feel like election season never stops in Colorado.

We’ve got elections in the spring and elections in the fall pretty much every year. In some ways it’s good; after all, it allows local elections to get more time in the spotlight than they might if they were paired up with presidential and congressional elections in the fall.

At the same time, separating them from those elections might lead some people to think they’re not as important or worth the time.

If anything, however, local elections are even more important, at least in terms of our ability to have a real and meaningful impact on our communities and lives.

City councils, town boards, school boards and county commissions are where the voting rubber meets the governing road. National elections might set the tone for how we feel about politics in general, but our local politicians are the ones whose decisions can have real and lasting impacts on our communities. They decide everything from how to grow local taxes to funding of critical social and public safety services.

This year has seen a healthy number of candidates for town boards throughout Garfield County from Parachute to Carbondale. No matter who ends up winning, we appreciate all of those willing to step up and offer the voters a variety of visions and ideas to choose from. Participation, after all, is a key component to the success of any representative democracy.

It’s not just the election of politicians that are important — local elections often present opportunities to say yes or no to taxes and development, such as the question of whether to overturn Glenwood Springs City Council’s decision to annex property in West Glenwood for residential development.

And while it won’t involve an immediate election, residents in a Glenwood Springs City Council precinct including much of downtown and part of West Glenwood have a chance to apply for the seat recently vacated by council member Steve Davis.

Even if you’re not chosen by council for the seat, applying for the opening is a great way to get your name out there and lay the groundwork for the next time the seat is up for election.

The Post Independent editorial board members are Editor Peter Baumann, Managing Editor/Senior Reporter John Stroud, and community representatives Mark Fishbein and Danielle Becker.