This column comes to you from 30,000 feet. Literally. Last night I watched presidential hopefuls debate their vision for the future of our nation and today I’m flying over a big chunk of the country.

I love flying. I have always loved the opportunity to get up high enough to look down on the world and see it differently.

I also love watching planes from the ground. Experiencing the grace and beauty of flight from below.

From up here, I can’t help but notice the vastness of rural America. But, when I listen to our politicians debate, it would seem that urban America dominates the political landscape.

Flying and watching a plane fly overhead are not the same.

Perspective is a powerful tool. It can help us solve problems that seemed insurmountable from in the trenches. It can help us better understand problems that seemed simple from outside the trenches.

Of the candidates running for president at the time of this writing, none grew up in rural communities. They hail from New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh. They have never been in our trenches.

Rural populations are declining, taking precious votes and political influence with them.

It’s up to those of us still here to reinvigorate the rural voice.

We need equitable funding for rural schools, better access to high quality healthcare, and reliable, affordable electricity to grow our local economy.

Big city politicians aren’t going to fight for these things for us. We must advocate for ourselves.

That’s why America’s electric cooperatives have launched a website to help the members we serve register to vote, find key election dates, and learn about the candidates and issues.

Check out Vote.coop and help us spread the word and get out the vote. Together we can make 2016 the year of the rural vote.