The Importance of Local Elections
(How to Counter Republican Election Rigging)
One of the things that this pandemic has taught us is that elections have consequences. So while we’re all focusing on doing what we can to stay safe and healthy, and helping to make sure that those around us stay safe and healthy, one must also have their eye on Election Days, local state, as well as Federal.
The federal response to this crisis has been a mix of incompetence and negligence from the very beginning, but many state and local elected officials have stepped up and provided the kind of effective leadership we all need to get through this. That got us thinking about the importance of local, down-ballot races. The presidential contest understandably grabs a lot of the media’s attention, but local elections have a huge impact on our daily lives.
Coronavirus, and What It’s Taught Us About Local Politics
Many (though certainly, but not all) governors, from both parties, have received high marks for what they’ve done to combat the pandemic. Mayors also have played an essential role in figuring out how to keep their communities safe. And all around the country, as schools have closed, many for the rest of the year, local elected school boards are working with superintendents and other officials to guide teachers, students, and students’ families through this unprecedented time. The examples of effective local leadership, from Democrats and Republicans alike, go on and on. Local leaders all over America have been making difficult decisions every day, decisions that have undoubtedly saved many lives.
The Importance of Local Government
Crises reveal things about people and government that we might not have noticed otherwise. But the truth is that it’s been clear for a while how important down ballot races are to how we go about our day-to-day lives. We get updates every day on what our senators and congressmen are doing in Washington, DC, but how often do you hear about what your state legislature is up to? The truth is that state legislatures, compared to Congress, are very productive. Every year they pass bills that have a huge influence over what you can and can’t do where you live. (They work pretty efficiently too: in some states, legislatures only meet for part of a year.
The truth is that a lot of the things we have to deal with every day are decided at the local level:
- A good portion of our local taxes goes to fund education, and local school boards have a big say in how that money gets spent.
- If you’re tired of driving into potholes on your commute to work in the city, and you start to wonder why you can’t take a bus or a train instead, you should talk to your mayor.
- Mayors, more so than most national governments, are also leaders in the fight against climate change. Want your city to go carbon-neutral? You know who to call.
- Local prosecutors are the single most powerful people in the criminal justice system when it comes to deciding who goes to jail or prison and who doesn’t.
And that’s just a few examples. Most of the things that impact your daily life happen on a local level and are influenced by local politics, but because we are bombarded by national stories every moment of every day, we find ourselves thinking nationally, not locally. It’s time for that to change.
What Voters Can Do This Next Election Day
The most important thing we can do is vote—not just for the president, but for every race on the ballot. Register now! Think you’re registered but aren’t totally sure? No problem. Find out here.
We’re all really busy, though, especially now, and a lot of us may not know who our local state representatives or prosecutor is. A good place to start is your state’s department of elections. You’ll be able to get info on upcoming elections and who’s running in them. Also check out your local newspaper or your town or city’s municipal website, which typically has information about how to get in touch with elected officials if you have questions about where they stand on the issues.
This has been a difficult time for so many, but the pandemic has shown us the importance of electing leaders at every level who put the health and safety of everyday people first. This Election Day, make your voice heard! Every vote matters, and so does every single race on the ballot.
Why It’s Even More Important Now to Vote in Local Elections
Republicans are rigging the system in many ways to illegally steal the 2022 and 2024 elections and unless voters across the land participate in all the elections that occur with their jurisdiction, they just may succeed.
States’ legislators and Governors are either Republican or Democratic. Currently, there are more Republican state legislatures than Democratic ones. They really not need the voter suppression tactics, gerrymandering, or other vote-rigging strategies, all they need is the Electoral College. If Republican legislatures send enough GOP electors to the college at the next presidential election, all they need to do is have those electors override the popular vote in the states where Democrats won, and basically assign the win to their candidate. Yes, it is legal for them to do that (in some states, most Red ones).
The states that allow their electors to pick whichever candidate they want regardless of the popular vote in their states are, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Texas, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Missouri, Minnesota, and Louisiana. note that only four of these twenty have Democratic legislatures, the rest being Republicans. Also with noting, is every Republican state except Texas has a low number of electors. List of states the require electors to chose the popular vote’s candidate.
Partisan politics starts at the local level. The more local elected officials there are of one Party, the more they can influence who becomes Governor and which the House and Senate candidates get elected. The challenge to preserve our Democracy begins in 2020 with the mid-terms. If several Republican legislatures can be converted to Democratic ones, the ability for Republicans to steal the next presidential election in 2024 diminishes considerably.
In conclusion, please get out and vote for school boards, comptrollers, police chiefs, local judges, and every other local and state office there is, especially Governor. And if you really want to help save Democracy in America, vote Democratic. The majority of Republican politicians at the Federal level do not care about Democracy… they are done with it!
Please, become informed and help your Country protect itself from the Republican Party and the anti-democracy influences of trumpism.
