With November 8th quickly approaching, media coverage of the presidential election has been heating up. It seems as if with each day comes a new scandal, heinous statement, or ridiculous meme from either candidate. If you said this election wasn’t blowing up your newsfeed, you’d be lying. And while this is one of the most important (and albeit absurd) presidential elections in American history, local campaigns are gearing up for election day as well! Local government plays a huge role in shaping the lives of communities all around the country. Such institutions deal with a lot of the issues that affect daily life; infrastructure, education, public transportation, public safety, sanitation, and beyond. It is vital that voters are informed on the policy platforms of those running for local office as these officials practically control local life.
Although positions and structure of local government vary by location, here just a few of the positions you may be voting for this upcoming election…
Mayor
In my research, I was surprised to find that the Job of a mayor isn’t just to check if the groundhog sees its shadow. This office holder can be considered the CEO of your local government, overseeing pretty much every department that works for your community; local safety (including police, fire, and medical), sanitation services, housing, and more. The mayor will also handle decisions regarding hiring and firing those working within each individual department. And just to add on some more responsibility, mayors are often the final decision maker when it comes to budgeting for the community. So if you feel as though there isn’t enough money being allocated to the necessity of accessible Ice Cream in your area, you know who to talk to.
City Manager
City manager is a position that takes quite a bit of endurance. The job of the city manager is basically to execute all that hard planning that the Mayor has done, while overseeing the day to day functioning of the community. This office may be elected or appointed depending upon state laws.
Assistant City Manager
The city manager’s bitch.
City Council Members
A city council acts as somewhat of a legislative body for your local government. This group of elected officials proposes bills, and passes laws that they believe will help govern the community, or improve the lives of citizens. However, sometimes these proposed laws and even passed laws just end up sounding awfully stupid. In Marshalltown, Iowa, Horses are forbidden to eat fire hydrants. In Blythe, California, you are not permitted to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows. And in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, persons convicted of felonies may not operate Bingo games, NOR may operators of bingo games advertise the prizes offered. Oooh those are ROUGH! Keep on working hard Bensalem City Council! Glad you guys are cracking down hard on those bingo games.
Want more information on how to prepare for Election Day?
There are so many ways to stay updated on local campaigns. The best way is to check your local papers and news outlets, as that is where the majority of coverage will be. Not in town? Take a couple of minutes out of your week to check out coverage online. You can do so by exploring local news outlets’ social media, websites, or even by trying a simple Google search! There are also fantastic websites such as Vote411.org, that aim to consolidate information about the election on all levels of government, into one website that is accessible to the entire nation. All you have to do is provide your address and they’ll provide you with a personalized voting guide, including who is currently on your local ballot, where to verify your registration status, local poll locations, and more. Also, if you know you’ll be out of town on Election Day, make sure you’ve applied to receive an absentee ballot online or by visiting your local Registrar of Voters.
Whether you’ll be voting in your hometown, or sending in an absentee ballot, remember to exercise your right on November 8th! If you’re eligible, voting is one of the most important things you can do for your country. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” So show off that strong sense of political efficacy and get out to the polls! Happy Voting!
