The Importance of State and Local Elections

People become interested in politics every four years because of the national elections and more specifically the presidential election. There are also people who do not vote and are disinterested in the national elections because they are not happy with the choices they are given. Even with that national elections receive a lot of coverage and there are other elections that receive less interest. Elections that many people do not pay attention to or underestimate are the state and local ones, which are important because it affects where people live more directly. State and local elections are not given as much attention but they are just as if not more important than national elections for many reasons.

There is important information to know about state and local governments with what they are, the purpose they have, and how little voter turnout in the elections for both. Local government is a government for a small area that only passes laws, enforces laws, elect officials, and establish taxes in that area (Business Dictionary). The small areas that local governments govern can be cities, towns, counties, or states (Business Dictionary). This why local governments can be important because elected officials can create laws and taxes that affects those small areas. If people do not pay attention to local politics then they will be unaware of what is happening that affects their lives. It could be a good way to get the policies people want because the cities and towns can directly address people’s concerns.

State governments have a state constitution that establishes “who has power, how the power is shared, how policy can be made, what rights the citizens of the state have, and how elections are conducted” (Deering). This means states can usually override towns, cities, or counties within the state as far as rights and laws go. Examples of this would be if marijuana is legal or if firework are legal. According to Deering state governments also regulate trade, local corporations, and the educational system in the state. States establish charters for county and city government, and establish licensing rules for professionals in the state (Deering). This shows that states are responsible for regulating many aspects within the state and establishing ways to meet the needs of the counties and cities. There are many ways in which state governments can impact people’s lives and are just as important as the national government.

Voter turnout for local elections is extremely low, which makes it necessary to understand the importance of local politics. According to governing.com, in 2011 there was 20.9% voter turnout in local elections with data from 144 large cities in the U.S. This means only a fifth of the voting population is participating in local elections. This is not good considering how important local elections can be with the laws and taxes passed by local governments. It is important to vote in local elections to make sure what the local government does represents what most of the citizens want. State elections are slightly better with average voter turnout in 2014 being about 39.8 among all 50 states and D.C. (ballotpedia). That is still bad considering how much impact the policies that the state government creates can have on the entire state.

With all the attention national elections receive every four years it is difficult to remember there are also state and local elections that are just as important. There are many ways that state and local governments can affect the areas they govern. Both can impact people’s lives just as much as national elections. There are many people who are frustrated with all levels of government but people must vote to change it. Voting more in state and local elections can help rebuild the United States political system to restore people’s faith in the government.

References

https://ballotpedia.org/Gubernatorial_elections,_2016

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/local-government.html

Deering, M. (n.d.). What is a State Government? - Definition & Overview. Retrieved from http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-state-government-definition-lesson-quiz.html

http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-voter-turnout-municipal-elections.html#graph