With Election Day less than 30 days away, it’s easy to get swept up when tracking the presidential election. While it is important to keep up with national politics, it is just as important to vote on the local level. County, municipal and school officials each have the ability to directly impact lives through a variety of issues such as housing, transportation and education.
Whereas the 2020 presidential election received a turnout of 66% of eligible voters, local elections experience a stark contrast in turnout. According to research by the University of Chicago’s Center for Effective Government, there’s typically a 20% turnout in mayoral elections — a percentage that is higher in comparison to other local elections.
A research project by Portland State University studied 20 of America’s 30 largest cities and found there was less than 15% turnout for municipal elections. School board elections see even lower turnout as the National School Board Association found in 2020 that turnouts across the country varied between 5% and 10%. Local officials representing school districts, city councils and county boards should be voted in by the large, diverse electorate of community members — not by a low turnout of eligible voters.
While many people may know the general roles of national government officials, many may not realize the roles of local government and their immense impact on local communities.
County officials hold power in transforming law enforcement, transportation, infrastructure, healthcare and public safety. Municipal officials hold power in transforming land use, housing and public services like libraries, police, fire protections and water and waste management. School officials hold power in transforming where funding is allocated and the type of curriculum and resources students have access to. Voting for candidates on the school, city and county levels has the potential to impact numerous policies in a local community.
If you’re concerned about a public library being forced into privatization, it is local officials who make such decisions. If you’re concerned about a lack of affordable housing, accessible green spaces or public transportation in your area, it is local officials who can make changes. If you’re concerned about a school district censoring reading materials, it is local officials who have a say.
During presidential elections, there is often discourse about whether an individual’s vote matters, especially when considering disparities due to the format of the electoral college. For example, an electoral vote in Wyoming represents around 195,000 people, but for more populated states like California, one electoral vote represents over 700,000 people. Though this process only applies to presidential candidates, a frequent question circulates every four years: “Does my vote really matter?”
On the local level, no matter what state you’re in, one individual’s vote means everything. For example, in Ohio in 2021, there were 18 local elections that resulted in a tie, leading to coin flips and similar arbitrary methods to determine a winner. Why should elections be forced to use coin flips to determine a final result, when each of us has the opportunity to uphold democracy through making an informed vote in local elections?
Additionally, simply due to proximity, voters have more at stake with the results of local elections. Compared to a national or state level, voters have more access to contacting their local representatives or making a public comment during a school board or city council meeting. Because of this, voters can make their voices heard louder on the local level.
It’s clear that strengthening the United States democracy is a key issue for voters today; 81% of votersbelieve democracy is currently under threat. We have the opportunity to strengthen our democracy through local elections. As voters, we must make informed decisions when voting for issues and candidates that impact our local communities.
Camelia Heins is an Opinion Staff Writer. She can be reached at cheins@uci.edu.
Edited by Trista Lara, Annabelle Aguirre and Jacob Ramos.
This article was originally published on New University.
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