Local elections determine the leadership and policies that directly impact people’s daily lives. From education and public safety to zoning regulations, city councils, school boards, county commissioners, and other municipal leaders make the decisions that shape our communities. However, local elections are often overlooked, despite the fact that most voters live in cities, towns, villages and counties where the majority of political decisions are made. Low turnout in these elections threatens the health and vibrancy of democratic governance at the local level.
Local elected officials and community members should participate in local elections to uphold democracy and ensure that government officials accurately represent their needs. However, in order to do so, they must be prepared with the knowledge needed to vote and understand their options. This is where America’s nonprofits come in, as they can partner with the local community to support voter engagement efforts and provide voters with the information they need to vote effectively.
A growing body of evidence shows that local elections—those for city, township, county, school district and a slew of special purpose districts—are often decided by a small handful of votes, which makes every vote count even more. Furthermore, the fact that these elections are off-cycle (in November of odd-numbered years) means that they are frequently unrepresentative of the community.
By partnering with the local community, organizations can engage with citizens throughout the year and help them prepare to vote. This can be done through face-to-face conversations, community meetings and even online outreach. The goal is to connect with voters, understand their values and share the candidate or proposition that most aligns with those values.
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