Why Should You Vote in Local Elections?
Voter turnout in the US trails behind that of other developed nations. In the 2020 presidential election, a record 67% of those eligible to vote did, but turnout is often significantly lower. If we look back at the 2016 election, Trump only earned the vote of 26.8% of eligible voters and 19.5% of Americans. And that is in the most publicized and participated elections.
Voter turnout in local elections often hits dismal levels, with some having single-digit voter turnout. This means people like mayors can be elected by 5% of those eligible to vote. That is not representative government. That is not democracy.
Low voter turnout is a serious issue in America. To tackle this issue, we must first understand why people aren’t voting. The top 2 reasons people aren’t voting in local elections are: 1) they didn’t realize there was an election, and 2) they didn’t think it was important.
Local elections are generally held in what we consider “off” years, those years without a presidential or midterm election, and frequently they aren’t held using the August primary, November general structure we are used to. All election dates can be found on your county’s website or Ballotpedia, which will let you know everything on your ballot.
As for the importance of local elections, I think people are tired of constantly hearing about roads. Roads are essential, to be sure, but I doubt they ever convinced a person to vote. For this series, we will focus on the significant issues of today and how local government plays a role.
We will tackle issues like police brutality and criminal justice reform, healthcare, the economy, homelessness, immigration, education, climate change and environmental issues, economic inequality, LGBTQ+ rights, and gun control. Local government can have a big impact on all these issues. Issues like these convince people to vote in presidential and mid-term elections; maybe they can also persuade people to vote in local elections.
It is our mission at Rideshare2Vote, to increase voter turnout in ALL elections by reaching out to low propensity voters. To find out more about why local elections are so important, follow along at our blog and @Rideshare2Vote on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
by Betsy Zalinski
