Monday, May 16, is our Town Election. We are poised to elect another set of wonderful volunteers who will help run this town and a set of important ballot decisions on town matters are also going to be decided by residents’ vote.

It’s amazing how our practice of democracy starts right at home. It’s a beautiful thing that we have a voice in the decision making on matters of our daily lives and our children’s future, starting right in our neighborhood. These local elections are the most impactful in shaping our town — our schools, our town services, clean water and safety, parks and trails, local business direction, property taxes and so much more.

Unfortunately, the local town elections are often the ones that suffer most from low turnout. Recent trends also show challenges with attendance in town meetings.

We need to participate and engage more. Building our voice in town matters, gathering our ideas together and having that citizen oversight is all too important to ignore. I urge you all to make the time to vote in the Town Election at Hopkinton Middle School from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and let your voice be heard in defining our future.

— Shahidul Mannan, Hopkinton (candidate for Select Board)

Editor’s note: The opinions and comments expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Independent. Submissions should be no more than 400 words and must include the writer’s name and contact information for verification. Letters should be relevant and not primarily for the purpose of promoting an organization or event. Letters may be edited by the Independent staff for space, errors or clarification, and the Independent offers no guarantee that every letter will be published. For a schedule of deadlines for letters and other submissions for the print edition, click here.