Most states are locked in and predictable.
Personally for me the, votes on the local candidates and issues effect us much more than who the president will be. Mid term election may matter more than general elections as well. Those are the ones they try to slip shit past the public with little to no voting.
Mayors, city councils, commissioners of various departments, and propositions directly effect taxation/income, contracts between cities and police/fire/ems all have direct effects on community safety. These votes matter every where.
Propositions have immediate and direct impact on what we pay in taxes, what gets built like roads and parks etc.
School board candidates are another. I don't have kids but if I did I'd be voting for them as there's some bat shit crazy people trying to get on school boards. I usually look for former teachers there but there's radicals from the left and right with no experience in teaching trying to meddle in public education.