Local elections determine how much your tax dollars are spent on things like public safety, parks, and roads. Local officials also make decisions about your quality of life, from whether or not to build new housing in your neighborhood, to how your city’s schools are run and what kinds of policies are adopted around education reform and job equity. It’s important that your voice is heard in these critical races, which can be decided by a handful of votes or less.
Nonprofits can support civic engagement in local elections by promoting voter registration, in-person and mail voting options, and election dates. They can also provide voter education through community events, social media, and newsletters. In addition, local news outlets and cable channels can inform the public about candidate profiles, recent statements to prospective voters and the media, and how their past actions have impacted the community.
Many of the biggest policy changes in history — such as civil rights, environmental initiatives, and school reforms — began at the city level before growing into national movements. By participating in local elections, we can ensure that the issues we care about are addressed.
Local governments should be elected by a broad and representative group of citizens, not by a small and unrepresentative group. One way to improve this is by bringing local elections on-cycle with higher-turnout federal and state elections in even-numbered years. This reform does not require amending the Constitution and saves local governments money.