Lots of candidates, historically low turnout for municipal elections.

SOUTHEASTERN N.C. -- Tuesday is Election Day! If you aren't excited, you should be.

Maybe the race between Bill Saffo and Todd Zola, or between Dan Wilcox and Joe Benson, or the contest pitting Brenda Bozeman against Lee Kent don't have the star power of Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton, but these races may have more impact on your daily life than last year's presidential election.

Tuesday will decide who will guide, for at least the next two to four years, local tax rates, police and fire protection, zoning and land use, trash collection, parks and recreation and a host of other things that we see, hear and feel every day. Here are five things to know about the election:

1. Lots of candidates in lots of races

The three-county area features more than 100 people in more than 30 races asking for votes at the municipal level.

The Wilmington City Council race, for example, has nine people, including two incumbents, vying for three seats. Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach and Kure Beach all feature contested races for seats on those town boards.

Brunswick County and Pender County also feature numerous contested races for open mayoral and council races.

2. Historically low turnout

Municipal elections, though, typically draw terrible turnout.

In 2015, just 10.45 percent of eligible voters in New Hanover County, for example, cast a ballot. For comparison, in the 2016 presidential election, 66 percent of New Hanover County's voters turned out.

Experts have said most voters are apathetic toward local politics for several reasons, including that most municipal elections don't feature partisan races, removing an easy identifier for voters.

3. Where to vote

The N.C. Board of Elections has a handy way to find your polling location at its website, https://vt.ncsbe.gov/PPLkup/.

4. When to vote

If you didn't vote during the early voting period, polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

5. Where can I see results?

In addition to the N.C. Board of Elections results page at ncsbe.gov, there will be places in New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick counties to watch results come in.

The New Hanover County government center and Wilmington City Hall council chambers will each be open and displaying results.

The public can watch results at the board of elections office in Pender County, at 807 South Walker St., Burgaw, which will set up a computer in the lobby displaying results, Pender elections director Dennis Boyles said.

In Brunswick County, people with a Wi-Fi-capable device can come to the Brunswick County Board of Elections office at 75 Stamp Act Drive, Building H, in Bolivia to view results on the state's website.

"We used to provide a space and would display the results but over the years we noticed that no one ever came," Brunswick County Elections Director Sara Knotts said.

Reporter Tim Buckland can be reached at 910-343-2217 or Tim.Buckland@StarNewsOnline.com.