first female vice president in American history. Your vote for president is extremely important this year, but here's something you shouldn't overlook: the rest of the candidates on the ballot in your state.

Down-ballot voting, also called "down-ticket voting," refers to all the offices listed below that of president and vice president. This includes any senators or house representatives in your state as well as gubernatorial candidates, attorneys general, secretaries of state, lieutenant governors, and other executive offices, such as treasurer and auditor.

And as we creep closer to election day, those offices have become even more crucial for those passionate about issues, including but not limited to protecting reproductive rights. Following the September 19 death of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, President Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett, who has written openly about her anti-choice stance. During her confirmation hearings, Barrett did not directly answer the question regarding whether she agrees Roe v. Wade was "wrongly decided" in 1973.

"I completely understand why you are asking the question," Barrett said. "But I can’t pre-commit or say, 'Yes, I'm going in with some agenda,' because I'm not. I don't have any agenda."

With the fate of Roe v. Wade in question, another thing to keep in mind is that several states in the U.S. have already made significant cutbacks to abortion rights. Ten states— Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Missouri, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Utah—already have what are known as "trigger laws," which would automatically make abortion illegal should Roe be overturned. In 2019, state legislatures passed 25 abortion bans, varying in severity, across 12 states.

The Senate is in charge of confirming justices to the highest court in the land, and many senators are from states with those trigger laws and bans. Although it definitely matters who is representing you in the Senate, it's just as—if not more—important to consider who is on the ballot for your state legislature. When it comes to reproductive rights, for example, it can be up to the leaders in your state to push for protections.

When there are pro-choice advocates at the state level, reproductive rights in your state will be covered, no matter what happens at the national level. For example, in 2019, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law the Reproductive Health Act, which codified Roe. v. Wade into New York state law.

The above reasons are why, when you go to the polls, or drop off your mail-in ballot, you should make your local election a priority.

"Right now, what's top of mind for so many voters is kicking Donald Trump out of office," Amanda Matos, director of constituency campaigns at Planned Parenthood Votes, told ELLE.com on a phone call. "And yes, Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations are moving voters to kick Donald Trump out, but what's important and what we're also doing is focusing attention to voting up and down ballot...It's really state politicians, including governors and state legislators, that actually have the most impact on our ability to access or even be denied essential reproductive healthcare. So the way I view it is that electing reproductive health champions up and down the ballot actually creates critical backstops regardless of what might be happening in Washington, D.C."

Here's a guide for who—and what—to look out for on your ballot.

Key Senate races:

Alabama

Democrat Doug Jones is in a race against Republican Tommy Tuberville. In 2017, Jones won in a special election against Republican Roy Moore, who was accused of sexual misconduct by women when they were teenagers. Jones won the special election by small margin, and his chances this time around are slim, too. An early October poll from Auburn University at Montgomery had Tuberville in a 54 percent lead over Jones's 42 percent.