Voting Is Just the Beginning

Voting Is Just the Beginning

By The Editors

Voting in local elections is critical for ensuring the best possible representation in the laws and actions that affect your daily life. But once your ballot is cast, getting involved in a local project allows you to flex your strengths for the betterment of society. Using your voice at public hearings or organizing neighbors can be invigorating and informative, and the actions you take on behalf of your town or city can deeply tie you to your community in a way that few other actions can.

Take environmental issues, for instance. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have weakened the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to fight pollution and to use the best available science in enacting regulations. The situation makes it seem like efforts to fight climate change are hopeless. Even the most stubborn optimists—people who fight against apathy and encourage others to do the same—would be forgiven for wanting to tune out.

But depending on where you live, opportunities for involvement might be vast. Many cities already have made commitments to reduce greenhouse gases, but smaller, rural municipalities may not. One place to begin, if your town doesn’t have a plan, is with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, which provides municipalities of any size with tools and guidance to help limit climate change.

On supporting science journalism

If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

If your town already has a climate committee dedicated to setting goals and systems for tracking progress, reach out to see how you can help. There may be a local advocacy group you can join or, if time is an issue, support. If nothing like that exists, attend a town board meeting and ask your elected officials about their plans for developing resilience and adaptation strategies. Check for grants at the county, state and even federal level that can be applied to a local project. Town officials aren’t necessarily stonewalling progress—they might be genuinely overwhelmed or unfamiliar with possible resources, and you can help bridge that gap. This work will give you clarity into the specific challenges of your community, which is often how people end up running for a board seat themselves.

Local environmental projects rooted in science will be trickier to find in areas where the phrase “climate change” is synonymous with “liberal agenda.” You may even be in a place, such as Florida, where the state government is openly adverse to climate mitigation. But these obstacles give you a chance to get creative. If you live in a hilly area that has experienced repeated economic losses from river flooding, for example, speak out about how trees and shrubs are excellent forms of erosion control and should be protected as critical infrastructure. Look at meeting agendas to see what development projects are being proposed—and then organize your neighbors to fight extractive ones that will harm the environment while leaving your community more vulnerable.

Use the weight of your professional background to be powerfully persuasive: Civil engineers can poke holes in developers’ plans, landscape architects can encourage native planting, wildlife biologists can explain why a certain habitat that might look unimportant plays a critical role for an endangered species, and attorneys can point out the disingenuous use of environmental laws that block climate-­friendly policies such as congestion pricing and high-density housing. Medical professionals can speak to the harmful effects of pollution and excessive heat on health, and people who work in communications can write press releases and keep their communities informed on social media.

You’re not limited to environmental issues. When you attend local meetings, you’ll often hear about expiring funds that need to be used. Suggest that money earmarked for public health initiatives, for instance, be used to improve access to reproductive health care. If you’ve noticed that an important curriculum seems to be missing from your child’s education, bring questions about it to a school board meeting.

As you get more involved in a local project—and, by extension, local politics—you will occasionally be baffled by feats of incompetence. You will feel exasperated by leaders who cling to a status quo that isn’t working. You will encounter elected officials who routinely say “that’s not my problem” instead of “let me look into that.” You will wonder how important conflicts of interest—such as real estate agents being allowed to sit on planning boards—get overlooked.

But you will also encounter the unsung heroes of democratic society. The hydrologist at the state environmental conservation agency who patiently explains how pollution standards are enforced. The county attorney who tells you how to phrase a question on a Freedom of Information Law form so that it triggers the response you’re looking for. These people will help you focus your efforts and invigorate your sense of agency for making change. They will also deepen your appreciation for public servants and the continuity of institutional knowledge.

The best part, though, might be experiencing a softening of the so-called partisan divide, the “us versus them” mentality that has severely alienated people from one another. Issues that seem deeply red or deeply blue at the national level aren’t always so clear-cut at the local level. Solar farms, for instance, have been hugely successful in red areas and blocked in blue ones. Your neighbor who thinks federal agencies should stay out of his business might feel strongly about protecting a local trout stream—and will make an enthusiastic ally. Working together based on your shared values isn’t just strategic; it’s a balm for these divisive times.

In the end, what happens in federal politics does trickle down. There is much that our current judiciary throws back to state and local governments to decide. So this is your chance. Vote in November, all the way down your ballot. Then get out there and hold those down-ballot officials accountable—for what they do, whom they appoint, and how they improve your community and your future.