Here's a secret: I wish I was more civically engaged. Sure, I vote, stay up to date on the news, and volunteer from time to time, but deep down, I know I can do better. Like many Americans, I find navigating my local government confusing, and I'd have a hard time identifying most of my elected officials in a crowd. I don't belong to any clubs, I don't attend any meetings, and I don't engage with more than a handful of my neighbors in any meaningful way.
I'm far from alone. Take these stats, for example. Each year, just 30% of Americans volunteer, and only 31% say they know most or all of their neighbors. In the 2016 general election, just 60% of eligible voters showed up to cast their ballots. And the national average voter turnout in the typical municipal election is just 27%. A 2018 study by Johns Hopkins University found that fewer than 20% of Americans could name their state legislators. One in three can't name their governor.
Clearly, there's work to be done. Ahead, we've broken down every aspect of civic participation, from understanding your government and volunteering your time to contacting your elected officials and casting your ballot. Simply recognizing how you can improve is the first step to becoming a better, more engaged citizen.
Brush up on Government 101
The first step to civic participation is understanding how our government is structured, who your representatives are, and what they do. Here are some helpful resources and definitions:
- Learn who does what: The official White House website has a simple guide to help you understand the roles and responsibilities of each level and branch of our government.
- Know who represents you: Plug your address into this tool from Ballotpedia to find a list of your elected officials. Ballotpedia has information on every federal and state official; it also has information on local officials in the top 100 U.S. cities by population (including the large counties that overlap them).
- Find your primary points of contact: These are the elected officials who represent you in Congress and your state government. Once you determine who these people are, you can sign up for their newsletters and follow them on social media.
- U.S. Senator: Your Senator represents your entire state in Congress; every state has two.
- U.S. Representative/Congress-member: Your Representative represents your district in Congress. The number of representatives in your state is proportionate to your state's population.
- Governor: Your governor leads your state's executive branch.
- State Senator: Your state senator represents your district in the State Senate, which is the upper chamber of your state legislature.
- State Representative/Assembly Member: Your state representative represents your district in the lower chamber of your state legislature. (The lower chamber is referred to by different names in different states. It could be called the House of Representatives, the State Assembly, the House of Delegates, or the General Assembly. You can learn what yours is called here.)
Get involved in your neighborhood
Civic engagement isn't only about politics and government — it's also about making your community a better place to live, work, and play. These meaningful activities will help you meet new people and become a more engaged member of your community.
- Volunteer: Visit a website like VolunteerMatch to find opportunities in your area (there are even virtual opportunities amid the coronavirus pandemic). You can build a long-term relationship with an organization by talking to them about your skills and how you can best assist the organization over time.
- Shop local: Apps like Local Eats, EatOkra, and Yelp can help you find locally-owned restaurants and businesses in your area. When you find a place that you love, give them a shoutout on social media and a 5-star review on Yelp and Google Maps (reviews help other people find and support these businesses too).
- Join a club: If you're not sure where to start, try Meetup, Active, or Nextdoor. You can also take a class at a local fitness center, library, art studio, or community college. Local museums and cultural centers may offer low-cost memberships that allow you to connect with other members with similar interests.
- Adopt a neighbor: Be a better neighbor by doing a random act of kindness for someone on your block. You can shovel their snow, return their trash cans from the curb, or bring them fresh produce from your garden. If you just want to put a smile on someone's face, simply leave a Post-It note with an inspirational quote on their door.
The more informed you are, the better decisions you can make about how to best serve your community. Dedicate a few hours a week to understanding local headlines and learning more about the issues that are important to you.
- Keep up with the news: Staying up to date on national news is important, but don't forget to subscribe to your local and state newspapers too. They'll provide critical information about what's happening closer to home. Sites like AllSides and Snopes can help you find unbiased sources and sort fact from fiction.
- Follow your local leaders: Subscribe to your local leaders' and elected officials' newsletters and social media accounts to stay informed on local news, legislation, town hall dates, and other events.
- Study your local history: You can take a tour, visit a museum, listen to a podcast, or pick up a few books at your local library. You might be surprised to learn what's happened in your own backyard and how past issues have shaped the present.
- Learn more about issues you're passionate about: Whether you're interested in learning more about the LGBTQ+ community, racial injustice, or anything else, develop a list of books or documentaries you'd like to complete on the subject and start making your way through them.
Make your voice heard
Nothing will get done unless you take action, but it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are a few simple ways you can enact change:
- Contact your elected officials: If there's an issue you're passionate about, call or write to your representatives and tell them where you stand. You can make the most impact by crafting a personalized note (as opposed to a copy and pasted one) that explains the legislation or issue you're writing about, your personal concerns about it, and a call to action, according to Call the Halls, a resource about contacting elected officials effectively.
- Volunteer for a campaign: Whether you're canvassing for a presidential candidate or making phone calls for a state senator, helping a campaign is an invaluable way to make a difference. If you can't volunteer, try donating money.
- Attend town halls: Calling and writing to your elected officials is one thing, but nothing can beat a face-to-face conversation or hearing the perspectives of other people in your community. You should be able to find a schedule of town halls on your elected officials' websites or in the local paper (many of them are happening virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic).
- Join a protest or march: If you follow local leaders and activists on social media or subscribe to your local newspaper, you'll probably hear about marches and protests in your community. If there's one that aligns with your values, make a sign and go. A protest is a great place to meet like-minded people and learn more about how you can advance the causes you're passionate about.
You already know that voting is one of your most important responsibilities as an American citizen. Make sure nothing gets between you and the polls on Election Day by taking the following steps.
- Check your voter registration: Head to Vote.org to confirm that you're registered to vote.
- Register to vote: Visit DoSomething.org to learn how to register in your state.
- Request an absentee ballot: If you can't vote in person on Election Day, Vote.org can help you get your absentee ballot.
- Know your deadlines: The U.S. Vote Foundation can provide your state's voter registration deadline, absentee ballot deadline, and absentee ballot return deadline. Most voter registration deadlines are between October 3 and October 29.
- Restore your right to vote: A past felony conviction doesn't mean you're ineligible to vote. Visit Restore the Vote to see if you are eligible to vote right now, or if you are eligible to complete the process to restore your vote.
- Find your polling place: Vote.org has a handy locator tool.
- Create a voting plan: Decide what time you'll be voting, how you'll be getting there, and whether or not you'll need child care or time off work. If your state has voter ID laws (find out if that's the case here), confirm you have all the documents you'll need to vote.
- Report voting rights violations: If you think you or someone else is being illegally denied their vote (either on Election Day or at any other time in the election cycle), then make a report. Lawyers at various organizations are on standby to help. Call 866-OUR-VOTE for assistance in English, 888-VE-Y-VOTA for assistance in Spanish, 844-YALLA-US for assistance in Arabic, or 888-API-VOTE for assistance in Asian languages.
- Cast an informed vote: Make sure you know who and what will be on your ballot on Election Day so you can cast the best vote possible. Use Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup tool to see a list of candidates and ballot measures that will appear on your ballot. Write down your responses and take them with you to the polls.
- Share these resources: Double check that everyone in your circle is registered to vote and has all the information and support they need to make it to the polls.
More on Navigating the 2020 Election as a Family
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