While the presidential campaigns get most of the media spotlight, the president doesn’t have as much of a direct impact on the lives of citizens as you might think. Our local elected officials are the ones who dictate the local laws, policies and budgets that affect us the most, and these officials are being elected every year with little citizen involvement.
If you’ve spent most of your time focusing on national politics, you’re not alone. But here are the
top three reasons
voting for mayor, and representatives for other local offices, could mean the difference between creating the change you want to see or keeping with the status quo:
1. Local government manages a lot of different things — and their decisions will directly affect your life.
There is no level of government that is more directly responsible for serving your community than your local elected officials. Local government can affect almost every aspect of your daily life. Here’s just a few of the things they’re responsible for:
•Local school quality
•Deciding sanctuary jurisdiction status
•Policing and public safety (and holding police accountable)
•Rent costs and affordable housing
•Public transit
•Alcohol and marijuana ordinances
¶City colleges and job training programs
. . . the list goes on and on, all the way down to your recycling options and collection.
To sum it up: your local government has a lot of money and influence to decide what your community’s priorities are and how it will be run.
2. State and local governments lead the way when the federal government isn’t.
For many of us, the 2016 election was a rough one. Like, really rough. More than any other voting bloc, our chosen candidates ultimately didn’t win. But there’s still a way to harness your passions and make a real difference, and that’s by getting involved in municipal elections.
Did you know that many landmark federal policies first originated at the local level? It’s true — local politics have a long history of shaping change in our country from the ground up. Policies such as women’s suffrage, minimum wage, environmental protection, and marriage equality all began at the local and state level.
By voting in local elections and holding your officials accountable, you can help create the change you want to see in our country. If nothing is moving forward at the federal level (or your federal representatives aren’t making progress in areas that you care about), it’s the responsibility of local governments to take action.
3. Your vote will make a difference.
Typically, just 1 in 5 voters participate in off-year local elections — meaning your vote at the local level can have an even bigger impact. For example, on just one election day in Ohio, 7 local issues were decided by just 1 vote.
Plus, if you do participate (and help your friends and family get to the polls, too), your elected officials will likely be more responsive to your needs and interests because you’re a voter. And if they aren’t, the next election is a a great way to fix that…
Again, make sure you never miss an election and are signed up for Rock the Vote’s Election Reminders. No matter where you live in the US, we’ll give you the information you need to participate in your local, state, and federal races. Also, make sure to check out our list of 2017 election dates to find out what’s happening in your area and across the country.