Another reason to register and vote: Who your mayor is matters. Depending on where you live, it can matter a lot. Mayors guide city budgets and the services residents need. They control daily operations. They also act as the public face of your city or town—their relationships with others in government and business influence your city in countless ways, and they make the critical day-to-day decisions that have as much, perhaps more, impact on your life as state and federal officials do.