We all hail from different places and have different life experiences, but there’s one very important thing we do have in common: We are all students at Binghamton University.

For all intents and purposes, Binghamton is our home for the four years we attend this University. We live in the town, eat the food, follow the rules and deal with the many inconveniences. Doesn’t it make sense, then, that we should have some say in what politicians the city elects?

You’d think. But not many students know that today is the Democratic primary for the Binghamton mayoral race (see Page 1). And even fewer will actually vote when Nov. 3 comes around.

But what these candidates are discussing is going to influence more than the lives of Binghamton residents. It’s going to have a direct impact on us as students. The R-1 zoning laws, for example, were a popular topic of discussion in the last mayoral election, not to mention the campus community. It was back in March 2008 that six BU students living on the West Side received an eviction order. That R-1 zone, which covers land from from Recreation Park and Seton Catholic Central down to the Susquehanna River, and from Beethoven Street to Chestnut Street, is still a popular area for students, and the zoning laws are still a hot topic. Who knows when officials will feel like cracking down next, and it would be wise for us to be familiar with potential elected officials’ stances.

Downtown security is also something that should be important to the huge number of students who spend their weekends on State Street, live in the Downtown area or even spend any significant amount of time in the city.

And what about all those residents who complain that students do nothing but party and abuse the city? Maybe being active outside of BU could help those town-gown relations and bump us up on the Princeton Review’s list.

There are over 14,000 students at BU, and if even half of us registered to vote in Binghamton we could make a significant impact on local politics.

Take the responsibility to get to know the candidates, either by attending events or doing your own research online. Go to the Broome County Board of Elections Web site to find out how you can register. And cast a vote.

If we don’t make the effort and do the work to get to know the local politicians, we have no right to complain when policies don’t go our way.