In 2019, we find ourselves at an interesting time for elections in Rowan County — sandwiched between a midterm year with impressive turnout numbers and a presidential year. In the meantime, Rowan County has a municipal election to attend to.

We’re months away from filing for 2019 elections, but up and down the ballot, it won’t be long before candidates of all stripes declare their intent to seek office in 2020.

In the 2020 campaign for president, Democrats already are lining up to challenge President Donald Trump. Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, a Republican, last week said he had formed an exploratory committee to run for governor, but it would be surprising if he didn’t follow through and formally announce a challenge to Gov. Roy Cooper. Three Democrats, none of which have statewide name recognition, have announced a campaigns for North Carolina’s U.S. Senate seat — held by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

Meanwhile, what about municipal elections — arguably of more consequence to locals than the president or other contests atop the ballot. On a monthly or bi-monthly basis, as the case may be, city and town councils make decisions that affect the world around us.

The Salisbury City Council last week agreed to take over the former site of Kesler Mill and apply for an Environmental Protection Agency cleanup grant — no small matter, particularly for those who live in the area of Cannon Park or along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue North. It seems at every meeting, Kannapolis is fine tuning its downtown redevelopment project.

And, of late, a few smaller town boards have taken on the cause of fighting for their schools to remain open.

With the exception of Kannapolis, every town in Rowan County will elect a mayor in 2019. Though, things work differently in Salisbury — where council members to choose a mayor instead of the city’s voters. Every town also will elect councilmen — called aldermen or commissioners in some cases.

But filing won’t start until July 9 at noon. By the time filing ends on July 19, we’ll be much further into the 2020 campaign, and the list of candidates for statewide office will have grown, too.

In the run-up to 2020, Rowan County shouldn’t disregard local elections because, as the saying goes, all politics is local. Wondering why a street is closed? Call your city or town councilman. Unhappy about something occurring in your neighborhood or a business that’s opening? Attend a city council meeting. Want to have a say in how your taxes are spent locally? Vote in 2019. Better yet, run for office.

Voter enthusiasm, some of which was spurred on by anger among Democrats about President Donald Trump’s 2016 election, led to a nationwide trend of record turnouts last year. And, while Rowan didn’t set any records, it was no exception to increased voter turnout. Consider that 2018 turnout in Rowan — 50 percent — was better than any midterm election since the 1980s.

In anticipation of a presidential election that could energize both sides of the aisle — conservatives going to the polls in support of their guy and Democrats hoping to oust Trump — and in the wake of impressive 2018 election, Rowan should seek to seize some of that enthusiasm and channel it into local elections. That can happen through canvassing by candidates or local groups committed to “getting out the vote.”

There’s no downside to boosting voter turnout in local elections, particularly among those who haven’t voted for mayor or city council before.

At a minimum, Rowan County show seek to turn the tide of miserable turnout rates in recent years. Sure, 2017’s 15.92 percent turnout rate may be impressive for a recent municipal election, but we cannot be satisfied when only 6,323 of 39,720 eligible registered voters cast a ballot.

Compare 2017 turnout to 1979, when 6,516 of the 18,643 eligible registered votes in Rowan County cast a ballot — a 35 percent turnout rate.

Local government works better for its constituents when more people participate in the process, whether that’s voting or attending a city or town council meeting. Communities are better, too, when citizens are civically engaged.

In 2019, let’s not get caught looking ahead to the ballot that awaits in 2020 and, as a result, sit out of important local elections.

Rowan County won’t match midterm turnout numbers this year, but by reaching or topping 20 percent local voters will take a tremendous leap forward.

Josh Bergeron is editor of the Salisbury Post. Contact him at josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com or 704-797-4248.