Today, we vote. We stand in line, fill in little circles, and hope the people we choose will help build the kind of place we want to live.

But there’s another election happening in our communities. No campaign signs. No televised debates. Mercifully, no attack ads. This one happens every time we decide where to spend our money.

We vote for a lively downtown when we buy a birthday gift from the shop on the corner. We vote for gathering places when we meet a friend at the locally-owned neighborhood coffeehouse. We vote for someone’s courage when we give a new local business a chance instead of driving past it.

These votes don’t come with stickers. Although, frankly, “I Bought Local” would look pretty good on a jacket. They come with something better: a reason for someone to unlock the door tomorrow. Behind that door is a person who took a chance. Someone who signed a lease, learned bookkeeping against their will, and wondered at three in the morning whether this whole thing was a terrible idea.

Our purchases won’t solve every challenge they face. And choosing local doesn’t mean ignoring our own budgets. It means remembering that convenience isn’t the only thing worth supporting.

So cast your ballot today. Then consider what you want your everyday choices to support. A place with familiar faces? Interesting storefronts? Businesses that feel like they belong here because they do?

That community needs our participation long after the polls close. Let’s keep showing up together for local.