Think Global. Vote Local.
In purple box: Join us on Wednesday, November 3, for “The Unseen Struggle of Homeless Women Vets” at The Cabot in Beverly at 7 pm. After a short film, we will discuss the plight of homeless women veterans with a panel of experts. A special opportunity to honor women veterans. Free. Check here for more info. Brenda, please put on our calendar, events, and kNOw MORE.
Dear Leading Ladies,
Election Day is next week, Tuesday, November 2, to be exact. We know it isn’t a presidential election year and only two gubernatorial positions will be decided (in New Jersey and Virginia), just two US House of Representatives seats will be determined in special elections (for vacancies in Ohio), and no US Senate races are on deck. Here in Massachusetts, there are only three ballot questions, all in Boston. So, unless we live in any of these places, why should we vote?
Why vote in local elections?
For one thing, there are always several matters at the state level that affect our quality of life. As Matthew Gross pointed out in the Harvard Political Review, “City and municipal governments are responsible for concerns, such as police department budgeting, education reform, lower-level courts, and local infrastructure.” The federal government may get involved with these issues, according to Gross, but often without the oversight or policy management that is needed. Gross sees Massachusetts’ efforts to implement ranked-choice voting and Florida’s Amendment 2, which would raise that state’s minimum wage, as examples of measures that needed the momentum of local public pressure. The crisis over clean water in Flint, Michigan, remains a problem that requires the local electorate to pressure those in power.
“The stakes of local elections might not be as widely reflected in the media as they are about the Presidential Election, but local elections have real consequences,” explains Gross. “Whether it is the guarantee of having healthy drinking water or the benefits of maintained streets and bridges, infrastructure is a concern that should remain on the forefront of voters’ minds as they consider the candidates of a city-level election.”
The criminal justice system changes in your backyard
The criminal justice system can be changed at the local and state level as well, according to Akua Amaning, associate director for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress. “Locally elected officials can use their position to work toward shrinking the footprint of the criminal justice system, providing services for returning residents and other justice-involved individuals, strengthening accountability measures for law enforcement and other justice system practitioners, and enacting other progressive reform efforts. They have the ability to implement many reform measures in an immediate and effective manner.”
Amaning believes voters should pay close attention to the views of those running for the offices of judge, district attorney, county sheriff, and public defender. She concurs with former president Barack Obama, who said, “the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the political justice system work at the state and local levels.”
School boards can change children’s lives
Perhaps one of the most important local elections involves local school boards. A school board is responsible for passing a budget, hiring a superintendent, and setting policy. The pandemic and the recent focus on diversity and inclusion in education, along with controversies over how to teach American history and promote anti-racism, have all made a school board’s composition more consequential.
In voting for members of your school board, Elisa Hoffman, founder of School Board School and writing in teachforamerica.org, says we should ask ourselves three questions: “Do they understand the role? Can they clearly articulate their goals? And do they share your values?” Her colleague, Jasmine Bowles, vice president of strategy & operations at School Board Partners, adds, “These are the people who may actually save the lives of the students, teachers, and parents in your neighborhood. And they will do it based on their values, their vision, and how they choose to include your voice in those decisions.”
“A school board plays a critical role in ensuring that anti-racist and equitable policies are passed,” Bowles believes. “So the personal and political will of the board needs to be such that most of your board is ready to make the hard decision to stand up against racism.”
Hoffman takes the point even further. “[I]f we want our school systems to produce different outcomes, we need people leading them that have the knowledge and the insight and the network to actually build different systems.” Only our informed votes can do that.
How did your mayors handle Covid and Black Lives Matter?
And, of course, there are races for mayor and city councils. Let’s take the time to check and see where the candidates stood during the crises of the past two years. Were they first in line to make sure our children were getting the books and technology they needed in the face of the pandemic? Were they doing all they could to ensure that the less privileged were being provided with what they needed? Were they early or late to the party in calling for anti-racism efforts in their towns and cities? Did they make sure that funds and personnel were allocated for the efforts? Which of the candidates most share your values?
We get it. It’s no surprise that only 27% of the electorate show up for municipal elections. The noise is always about the presidential election. And maybe about some Senate races. If you’re in Boston, the mayoral race is getting ink, too. But that’s about it. Yet, right here at home there are decisions you can make that could really change lives for better or worse. Let’s all get out, show up, and vote.
Let’s hope the best men and women win.
Therese
Judy
Mary
Beth
Leading Ladies Executive Team
Leadingladiesvote.org
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org