Election day is not the only day on the calendar on which you, as a voter, can have your voice heard.

Early voting in West Virginia begins Wednesday and is set to take place at local courthouses from April 29 through May 9. Early polls will be open during regular business hours on weekdays during that time, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 2, and Saturday, May 9.

Let’s face it, with busy lives in a fast-paced world, not everyone will have the time to stand in line on Election Day to cast a ballot. Early voting periods give us the freedom to drop in to the courthouses when we have the time over the next couple of weeks, fitting it into our schedules rather than the other way around. And the fact that there’s Saturday voting really takes the excuses out of the equation. There’s a time at some point until May 9 for you to get to the polls.

And making your presence felt in the voting booth in one of the most important things you can do for your community. You help pick the leaders at the local, state and federal levels who will map the future of our hometowns, home states and the country as a whole. You help decide the important issues and the people who will get to work on them.

So look at your calendar over the next couple of weeks and pencil in a trip to your courthouse to vote. You’re not just doing it for yourself, but for everyone around you.