Our view: Voting in state and local elections this year is important, but informed voting and political and social engagement are even more important.

As gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott said in his Wichita Falls campaign stop last weekend, “the only thing that counts are votes.”

Votes do matter, but they are not the only thing that counts. As demonstrated by Newman Wong in this week’s short page-one article, we can all be involved in the political process even without voting. Wong said he supports candidates and agendas that will make the long and convoluted path to U.S. citizenship easier, and he does it all without the power to vote.

Wong’s situation is comparable to some out-of-town students who are registered to vote in their home county. While they can still vote by mail or take a quick trip home to vote, it’s certainly not as easy as popping over to the mall during their lunch break between classes. So we encourage everyone to engage themselves politically and socially, whether or not they can or will vote.

READ MORE: Democratic Lt. Gov. candidate visits Wichita Falls