It’s the day you’ve been waiting for all year – the 2014 Midterm elections. No matter where you live, the location of your polling place, or how busy your day is, there are few things more important you can do as a citizen than make your voice heard in the ballot box.

This election will determine the members of Congress who will set America’s science policy agenda; the state legislators and officials who will weigh in on policies closer to home; and the local officials who will affect issues in your city or town.

In the past several years, we’ve seen negative and positive actions (or lack thereof) taken by Congress. We’ve seen flat or reduced budgets (and a few increases) for science agencies, stalled legislation reauthorizing the critical mission of NSF and NASA, and legislative language that would place restrictions on the number of scientists attending scientific and technical conferences. Even more alarming is the low level of productivity of the current Congress when compared to past sessions. Sometimes it’s hard to see how one person can make a difference and support science in this environment, but today of all days, the way to make a difference is clear.

Scientists and the general public have a critical voice, and you can help decide who’s elected to make important choices. If you’re unsure who the candidates for office are in your area, you can look them up on AGU’s Policy Action Center election website.

Elections have consequences, so be involved and make sure today’s outcomes benefit, strengthen, and enrich the Earth and space sciences, not undermine them. Make your voice heard on Election Day – vote science.