So, you voted in the presidential election on Tuesday and now it might seem like you have done all you can do until the next election rolls around four years from now.  But there are many different ways to stay involved in politics in between elections. Here’s five:

1. Get involved in local elections:

The presidential election might be the big election that everyone waits for every four years, but local elections can impact your community too.  Local elections happen more frequently and not participating in them can impact things like schools, taxes and local laws. Getting involved in local elections is an easy way to stay involved in decisions being made that will directly impact your community.

2. Stay informed:

By staying informed on the issues and candidates not just during big elections like the presidential election, but in smaller local elections, you will be able to know exactly what is on each ballot.  Knowing who and what you are voting for is important—sometimes the wording on ballots may be hard to understand.  By knowing everything you can before, you can cut any confusion over the wording and know exactly what you will be voting for.

3. Educate others

After you educate yourself it is important to help keeps others informed.  Whether the people in your life agree with your political stance or not, it’s important to keep having conversations with them.  By educating others, you are helping ensure that the people you care about know that they are receiving accurate information.

4. Hold elected officials accountable:

This one is definitely easier said than done but remember- they work for us!  Even so, some elected officials might not know how the people they represent feel about certain issues unless we tell them. So, reach out! Draft an email, letter or voicemail that calmly and respectfully states your thoughts and concerns about certain issues.

5. Attend city council meetings:

This one kind of ties all the others together.  By attending these meetings, it becomes easy to get involved in local politics, educate yourself and others and hold your elected officials accounted.  Attending city council meetings allows you to form relationships with the people who represent you at the local level.  It also gives you an opportunity to have your voice heard!

It is important to remember that our job isn’t over after election day.  Our civil duty doesn’t end on November 3^rd every four years.  There are ways to be involved all year long and it is important to take those opportunities to have our voices heard all the time.

Article by Marissa Mayfield