Whether it’s funding your local schools, filling potholes, or deciding how police are trained, the people you vote for at the local level make decisions that impact your everyday life. But unlike national or state elections, local races often get less attention, making it difficult for voters to find out who is running and what’s at stake.
Lauren believes that educating people about the power of local elections is one of the most effective ways to combat low voter turnout for these races. Using resources like the one-stop 2025 voting resource we’ve put together, you can provide residents with a comprehensive look at their local elections and help them understand what’s at stake in their community. This includes hosting candidate forums and debates, so voters can directly interact with candidates and discern their positions on the issues that matter most to them.
Ultimately, voting in local elections is the most powerful way for historically marginalized communities to safeguard democratic processes and push state and federal governments toward greater accountability and equity. In fact, some of the most historic policy changes in the US – from education reforms to environmental initiatives – began at the city and state levels before gaining momentum.
In many cases, local elections are decided by just a few votes, so every single vote matters! One of the most common reasons people don’t vote in local elections is because they believe their voice won’t count, but educating people about local elections can dispel this myth.
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