Local elections determine leadership and policies that directly impact citizens’ lives from schools to public safety and from infrastructure to zoning regulations. Increasing voter participation in these elections is essential to the health and vibrancy of democracy at the local level, but it is often difficult to engage residents because of apathy or misconceptions about the importance of these elections.
The following tips will help voters better understand why their vote matters and encourage them to take steps to get involved in the electoral process, whether by researching candidates’ positions on issues or by participating in civic engagement activities like attending community meetings or contacting city council members. In addition, we provide tools that can be used to dispel some of the myths that are commonly offered as reasons why people don’t vote.
Voters can find more information about local elections at the Local Elections Website.
In the United Kingdom, the term local elections refers to county, unitary authority, borough, district, town and city council elections. These elections are held every four years.
Changing the timing of local elections by moving them on-cycle alongside higher-turnout federal and statewide races would increase voter participation and allow elected officials to hear from a broader cross-section of their communities’ concerns. This is a reform that doesn’t require amending the constitution, is relatively inexpensive and can be implemented in conjunction with other voter engagement efforts.
Vladimir Kogan, Stephane Lavertu and Zachary Peskowitz recently analyzed voter data from school-board races in California to show that off-cycle elections attract an electorate focused on narrower, parochial interests. Increasing turnout in these elections can bring these interests into alignment with the needs and expectations of the community, making for more representative policymaking.
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