How to get involved in local politics

City councils, county commissions and school boards generally act at meetings the public may attend. Open-meeting laws exist so the public can attend government meetings and learn what its government is doing. They typically require advance notice of when and where a meeting will be held and its agenda, and often require a published record of what happened.

Whether you may speak is a separate question. Most open-meetings laws require that the public be able to see and hear the meeting. A few go further and give the public a right to comment, usually with limits such as a time limit or a requirement that comments relate to business before the body. Check the body’s own procedures for how comments work.

How to start

1. Find the body’s website through your city, county or school district (USAGov lists local government websites by state).
2. Look for the meeting calendar and the agenda for the next meeting. Required notice varies by state: for example, at least 24 hours in Arizona, 72 hours for California local legislative bodies, and seven days in Alabama.
3. Check whether the agenda or website says if public comment is allowed and what the rules are. Ballotpedia’s transparency checklist lists this as something government websites should state. If it does not, ask the clerk’s office.
4. Read your state’s open-meetings law in the Reporters Committee’s Open Government Guide if you want to know what the law requires where you live.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

There is no single national calendar. Local governments post their own, and the format differs. For example, the City of Orlando publishes an official meeting calendar and invites residents to attend any public meeting of a board or commission before applying to serve on it.

How to start

1. Start from USAGov’s state-by-state list of local governments, then look for “agendas,” “meetings” or “city clerk” on your city, county or school district website.
2. For state-specific rules on notice, agendas and minutes, use the Open Government Guide or Ballotpedia’s notice-requirements table.

Sources: [4] [6] [5] [3]

USAGov points to ways to reach elected officials at every level, including searching for a mayor by name, city or population size, finding a county executive by map or ZIP Code, and getting contact information for city, county and town officials.

How to start

1. Use the address box below to see your federal and state officials on We Elect.
2. For city and county officials, use USAGov’s elected-officials page and your local government’s website.

Sources: [7] [4]

Some cities, such as Minneapolis and Orlando, have advisory boards and commissions that residents can apply to join. Rules differ by city. In Minneapolis, applicants must be city residents over 18 and not city employees, with some exceptions the City Council and Mayor can waive. In Orlando, applications are only considered when there is a vacancy, applicants complete a financial disclosure form, and appointments are not official until confirmed by the City Council.

How to start

1. Find your city or county’s boards-and-commissions page (often run by the city clerk).
2. Look for current openings and each body’s duties and eligibility. In Minneapolis this means creating a profile in the city’s online system, finding an open seat and applying.
3. Attend a meeting of the body first if you can. Orlando invites this explicitly.
4. Ask the clerk what happens after you apply, such as interviews, financial disclosure or confirmation by the council.

Sources: [8] [6] [4]

Local offices include mayors, city councils and other governing bodies. Ballotpedia notes that city, county and school district governments are structured under each state’s laws, and that mayors, city councils and other governing bodies are generally directly elected.

How you get on the ballot depends on where you live and the office. Filing deadlines vary significantly from state to state and can vary within a state by type of office. Paperwork may be a simple form, a petition, a filing fee or a combination. For example, Vermont candidates for local office file a petition and a consent form with the municipal clerk. Ballotpedia says its own ballot-access summaries are not a guide to running for office and tells would-be candidates to contact their state election agency.

How to start

1. Find which offices are on your ballot and when (your We Elect results page lists elections for your address).
2. Contact your local or state election office for the filing rules, forms, fees or signature requirements and the deadline for that office. USAGov and Ballotpedia list election offices by state.
3. Ask what you will need to report about campaign finance before you raise or spend money. Ballotpedia’s candidate toolkit points to your state’s election agency for the forms and to campaign-finance reporting guidance.

Sources: [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Political parties are organized by voting precinct. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, precinct committee members are selected by the political parties and typically distribute voter information and help with voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts. In the states it excerpted, they are chosen through the party primary or a caucus. The title varies by state, for example precinct committeeman or committeewoman. Rules differ by state and party.

How to start

1. Contact the county party organization of the party you want to join, or your county elections office, and ask how committee seats are filled where you live (primary ballot, caucus or appointment).
2. If the seat is elected on the primary ballot or at a caucus, ask when and how to file or sign up.

Sources: [16] [14]

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission says poll workers are essential to running elections. Most jurisdictions have poll workers set up the polling place, welcome voters, verify registrations and issue ballots, and explain voting equipment and procedures. Duties, pay, hours, training and eligibility (such as age, residency, being a registered voter, or party affiliation) vary by state and locality.

How to start

1. Use the EAC’s poll worker lookup tool to find requirements and sign-up links for your community.
2. Sign up with your state or local election office. The EAC notes that some jurisdictions have enough volunteers and others do not, so you may need to be patient.

Sources: [17]

You can volunteer for the candidate or ballot-measure campaign of your choice. Ballotpedia reports that virtually all states allow citizen initiatives at the local level: citizens circulate a petition and collect the signatures of registered voters to place a proposal on the ballot. The rules differ from place to place.

How to start

1. Contact the campaign or committee directly. Ballotpedia’s pages for statewide ballot measures list the groups on each side, and We Elect links to them from each measure page.
2. To start a local initiative, ask your city or county clerk or election office for the petition rules, signature requirement and deadlines.

Sources: [18] [14]

USAGov explains that you can start registration at Vote.gov, where, depending on your state, you will find instructions to register online, by mail or in person at your local election office. You can also use the National Mail Voter Registration Form. Required documents vary by state; in most cases a driver’s license or state ID.

How to start

1. Go to Vote.gov, choose your state and follow its instructions.
2. Confirm deadlines and ID rules with your state or local election office. VOTE411 also lists registration deadlines, ID requirements and polling places.

Sources: [19] [14] [20]

The League of Women Voters is one nonpartisan example. It describes itself as strictly nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates, with local Leagues across the country, and its Education Fund runs VOTE411, a nonpartisan site with election dates, registration deadlines, polling places, ballot-measure information and factual data on candidates in many races.

How to start

1. Look up VOTE411 for your state and local election information.
2. Search your city or county for neighborhood associations, parent organizations and issue-based groups that match your interests.

Sources: [20]