Your local councillors make decisions that impact the things you use and love, from public safety to community facilities. Local elections are also a critical opportunity to ensure your hard-earned tax dollars are working for you.
Local government officials – city council members, school board members, county commissioners, and judges – shape the communities in which we live on a daily basis by making crucial decisions that affect our lives. They determine how much funding goes toward schools, public safety, and even zoning laws. They appoint local department heads and enforcement officials, as well as local boards that shape broader policy. They are responsible for addressing specific local problems, such as the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
But despite their significant impact on our everyday lives, local elections receive far less attention than national ones. This is largely due to low voter turnout, as well as the prevalence of “news deserts” where few or no media outlets devote resources to covering local races.
While it’s easy to get caught up in the fervor of presidential elections every four years, local politics is just as important. This is because it is the level of government where citizens have the greatest opportunity to directly influence policies and services that impact their day-to-day lives.
It’s vital that voters participate in local elections to ensure their voice is heard and that the most marginalized communities are represented. But to do so, they need to understand the barriers that are keeping them from participating.
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