Her Campus is on tour! In partnership with Future Caucus and DoSomething, the Her Campus Voices: Election 2024 Tour is traveling the country to host conversations with Gen Zers to get their insights and opinions as we approach the November election. Our most recent stop? Her Conference — here’s what members of the Her Campus community had to say about voting in local elections.
To those just tuning in to this season of American politics, the 2024 presidential election is just around the corner. But as the country gears up to pick its next leader for the next four years, it’s important to remember that there are so many more elections within the United States than just “the big one.”
As you may know, local elections are held way more often than every four years — in fact, some are held even on a yearly basis. And although these elections don’t get nearly as much attention as presidential elections, they are still a big deal. Local elections can determine how much money goes into public schools and healthcare, influence things like roads and housing, and can even set future national leaders up for success by helping them get their foot in the notoriously hard-to-enter door of politics.
It may be difficult to even think about local elections at a time when it feels like all eyes are on one of the most impactful presidential races in modern memory. However, according to five Gen Zers who spoke in DoSomething.org’s Soundoff! Storybooth at Her Campus’s 2024 Her Conference, local elections may matter more now than ever before. Here’s what these young voters had to say.
Politically Active Gen Zers Want Their Peers To Understand The Power Of Local Elections.
While national elections may get all the media coverage and hype in daily conversations, what many don’t realize is that the issues that are voted on in local elections often have direct impacts on young people. Issues like school board representation, affordable housing initiatives, and environmental measures are decided upon in these elections, and that’s a big reason many young voters wish their peers were more in tune with local elections.
“Small changes made in local legislation tend to have bigger impacts on you, because that is your community”
“Small changes made in local legislation tend to have bigger impacts on you, because that is your community,” Elizabeth*, 27, says. “Those are the decisions that are probably going to have effects on your day-to-day life.”
Unfortunately, young voters might not be as likely to pay attention to these elections, largely because they’re simply not talked about as much.
“I always remind my friends [when] elections are happening because I think young people aren’t paying attention to that enough,” Julia*, 22, says. “It’s easy for them to be like, ‘I didn’t even know it was happening’ because they’re not clued in to what is happening in their community.”
This can be especially frustrating for Gen Zers like Julia, who want to see more young leaders in office at a local level. This is because local elections are where many young politicians get their start — if they have the voter base to get them elected, that is. Julia describes elections in her own community, which are dominated by older candidates: “When a younger person even tries [to run for office], they get disregarded almost instantly because of their age,” she says. “I think part of the issue is that there aren’t enough young people voting … so many people ages 18 to 24 don’t participate, or only participate in national elections.”
“If you’re unsure if your voice or your vote matters, you should focus more at the local level, because that is where your voice and your vote really does matter”
The belief that one vote won’t make a difference is a huge roadblock to voting, but it’s important to remember that even one vote can make a difference. This is especially the case in local elections, where voting populations can be super small. “People don’t care about local elections because they think that their vote doesn’t matter,” Kaya*, 19, says. “[But] when it comes down to it, your vote matters the most in the local elections.”
Elizabeth agrees: “If you’re unsure if your voice or your vote matters, you should focus more at the local level, because that is where your voice and your vote really does matter. Don’t just look at the big elections. [For example,] look at the district attorney for your county.”
Local Elections Can Lead To Large-Scale Change.
“Change … really happens at the lower levels and it makes a difference when you get to that higher level,” Zaria*, 24, says. What she means by this is that there are plenty of pieces of legislation that regular citizens don’t get to vote for, but the representatives (who all the regular citizens vote for) sure do — so it’s imperative to make sure those local representatives are ones who represent your best interests.
Plus, as mentioned before, many young politicians get their start in local politics before making their way up to higher positions. So, even if you don’t care about your town’s comptroller right now (though you should!), you might care a lot once they’re going on to become your next governor or U.S. Senator.
As Jordanne*, 23, puts it, how you vote now (including your decision to not vote at all) can create significant impacts even decades into the future. “You have to think about how long we are supposed to be surviving on this planet,” Jordanne says. “Your vote over time will count.”
*Last names were omitted to maintain participants’ privacy.