The act of voting was once considered a civic duty, one that drew millions to the polls with the hope of altering the political landscape. Even third-party candidates found themselves gathering thousands and thousands of votes, though their chances were slim.

Today on a national scale, the number of voters has dropped significantly from what it was a decade ago. Many blame the lack of youth interest in politics, or the pool of unattractive candidates on the ballot. However, pockets of people across the country remain active in voting. North Carolina, specifically, is one of them, as evidenced by the most recent election.

Republican candidate Thom Tillis, Democrat Kay Hagan and Libertarian Sean Haugh garnered a combined total of 2,886,210 votes. In total, 44 percent (2.9 million people) of the population of North Carolina voted in the mid-term election. People in N.C., among just a handful of other states, were driven by the prospect of change.

In Beaufort County, 54.82 percent of registered voters came out and voted — 55 percent voting for Tillis and 40 percent for Hagan. With the race ending up as close as it was, those voters really did play a role in the incumbent being ousted from office.

Locally, residents sought change by electing Ernie Colman to step in for long-time sheriff Alan Jordan, while voting in two new county commissioners — Ron Buzzeo and Frankie Waters. Marty Paramore will return for his third term as Clerk of Court.

There’s been a lot of tension surrounding local politics of late and the strong turnout is a testament to Beaufort County residents’ desire for local political change.

All those who voted should be proud of their role in effecting change and beating the state voter turnout average. Those who didn’t take part in the electoral process should reconsider next time around. Part of the privilege of living here is being an active participant in the decisions that affect all.