To what extent do you participate in your local elections, and if you don’t, why not?

39 comments

1. I don’t, because I really don’t care

2. I’m a delegate in the congressional primary here in Virginia. As for the why, somebody asked me to do it. Also it basically gives me a chance to have the candidate I prefer be the one on the ballot and given the demographics of my district very likely who will be elected. So why not?

3. Vote every time.

4. I think I’ve only missed one in my entire voting life.

5. I vote in them.

6. Very single local election in person

7. I fill out every ballot I am given. The local elections are the ones that actually have immediate impact on my life, so they get plenty of attention.

8. I’ve never missed a primary or a general since I was 18.

9. I usually do but if the current numbers show it’s a landslide or the person(s) running are running by themselves, than there isn’t much reason to go, though I still should since you never know.

10. I do a bit of research on the candidates and vote.

11. I don’t actively canvas or volunteer for campaigns but I always vote in the elections. It’s really convenient in Colorado because the ballot gets mailed out a month ahead of time.

12. Every election I vote. I’m actually in the early stages of making a run for city council in the 2024 election. I fured I could be the vhnage that I want to see.

13. I always vote in local elections! Except maybe school board. I don’t have kids and I didn’t go to school here, and the last election had so many candidates and it was hard to find any real information about them.

    A few years ago I voted in a race that ended in a tie, which really cemented in my head the idea that every vote counts.

14. Didn’t vote for the last one because all of the positions were uncontested

15. My dad holds a state level elected office, so uhhhh…a large extent lol

16. I don’t. I don’t have strong enough views on local issues to really care and I don’t believe in just voting for the sake of voting.

17. I got in every election

18. Zero. There’s no point. There’s only one person running for each position usually so there’s no point.

19. So 18-20 I did. But then I joined the military and absentee ballot stuff was just not on my radar during deployments and then I got out but but my husband’s still in. I’m just too lazy to go change my registration every time we move. Getting my car tags renewed is the biggest head ache. I just don’t want to deal with it. 4 more years and we get to live where we want and never move again. I’ll be very involved then.

20. Full extent including putting up a lawn sign for our last major referendum.

    I have also volunteered to work the pills in the past.

21. I voted today.

22. I vote in any election.

23. I vote in every election except primaries

24. If I don’t it’s because I forgot.

    Or it’s something that doesn’t necessarily affect me so I feel like it’s not my place to opine.

    But usually it’s just cuz I forgot..I try and return every ballot, but I haven’t been long in the voting years; only just closing up a decade

25. Vote early, vote often.

26. I go to all of them, I have to pass the polling place on my way to work anyway.

27. I vote in every election.

28. I vote in local elections. Back home, I participated in Town Meetings (which is how we did town government.)

29. i vote. i read who won the next day.

30. I vote every time. RI’s primaries aren’t until August or September, and those and the general election generally have all the local stuff on there as well.

31. I’ve never missed one, that I’m aware of. Local politicians have a ton of influence over my actual day-to-day life, so they’re important to vote for.

32. I vote now that I’m not moving every year but that’s it.

33. I have voted in every election since 2008, including local ones. Sometimes it’s interesting to learn about local candidates and measures on the ballots, and which interest groups and politicians endorse them. More importance is placed on national elections, but local elections are where you generally see change happening directly and immediately.

34. I vote in every election that I’m eligible to vote in. Unfortunately I live in a state with closed primaries so i can’t vote in those because im registered as an independent.

35. Rarely, if ever, to be honest. I vote for national things but living in places for only 2-3 years has led me to not having any attachment to the city/region I’m currently in at that time.

36. I vote in every election, but I often wonder if the local elections are an exercise in futility.

    Then, I think about all the people who didn’t vote because they wondered the same. So I make certain that I go back and vote again next time, hoping that they will too.

37. I vote in them unless it’s only super local positions that I don’t care about.

38. Normally I vote in as many of them as i can, usually take advantage of early voting opportunities, and never skip a thing on the ballot.

    This spring I admit I’ve been negligent. I didn’t have a matching address on my reg and driver’s license so i couldn’t do primaries, and I think in a few days we have a runoff or something that I’m gonna try to make it to, couldn’t do early this week because i got a hella stomach sickness of some sort that kept me home.

    Texas has approximately 53926 elections per year so you have to be really dedicated to know what the fuck is going on. I normally cram info the couple days right before i go vote so i at least kinda know who I’m voting for.

39. I actively bribe the mayor every time he comes to my house. just gave him some venison jerky today, he was drooling over it.

    I don’t see him as often anymore now that I quit drinking, but I used to split a pizza with him and my wife once a week.

    my daughter and I will be making pupcakes for him next weekend, he really loves them, we make them super-sized for him because he is a Saint Bernard.