After the ballot box

Your 'I Voted' sticker quit, but you don't have to. The 2024 election is finally over, and the results are in. The 15-day grace period for absentee ballots and outstanding precincts is complete. For many citizens, the outcome may not completely align with their hopes or values. It is natural to feel unhappy if the winners of seats or propositions aren't who or what you wanted. It's okay to feel disappointed when this happens. Democracy doesn't end at the ballot box, though; it's a year-round commitment that needs constant citizen action.

Active citizenship means helping to improve your community, no matter who wins elections. If you feel like the people in charge aren't listening to your ideas, you still have many ways to speak up and make a difference. In fact, the things you do to help your community throughout the year can have a permanent impact.

Go to public meetings in your community. Anyone can attend council, assembly, planning, committee, and school board meetings. At these meetings, there's always a time when the public can stand up and tell leaders what you think about issues. Even if you don't want to speak, just showing up lets leaders know people care about what's happening in the community.

One way to help your community is to join advisory boards and committees. These volunteer groups impact things like parks, playgrounds, and improving commerce. They often have more impact on daily life than you may think. When you serve on these boards, you get to speak up for your neighbors and help make choices that affect everyone in your community.

You can make a bigger difference by working with other people who care about the same things you do. You might join or start a neighborhood group, team up with others who want to fix specific problems or become part of a community service club. These groups can work well with any elected officials when they focus on making real improvements to the neighborhood. Most local issues like fixing streets, keeping people safe, or creating programs for kids, are about making life better for everyone in the community and not political parties.

Staying informed and helping others understand local government processes is another valuable form of citizenship. Write letters to the editor to newspapers (like this one), start a community newsletter, or use social media to share factual and truthful information. Many people want to be more involved, but don't know where to start. I started writing this column to help others understand how local government works and get them involved, for example.

One of the best ways to make things better right now is to help out in your community. You can volunteer at local charities, help organize neighborhood clean-ups, or work with kids as a mentor. These activities let you make genuine changes happen, no matter who's "in charge." When you volunteer, you often meet people who might have different political views than you, but you can still work together to get things done.

When you talk to elected officials, it's important to be respectful. You can ask to meet with them, send them emails about things you care about, and suggest ways to fix problems instead of just complaining. When you call their office, be nice to the people who answer the phone. They're there to help. Elected officials appreciate hearing from people who take time to explain their ideas and opinions clearly, even if they don't agree with everything you say.

Start thinking about the next election now. Keep your eyes open for people who might make good leaders and who believe in the same things you do. Consider running for a seat yourself. While you're waiting for the next election, you can make new connections in your community and learn how your local government does its job.

Big changes don't happen overnight; they take time and lots of hard work. Making our community better doesn't happen because of just one election. Instead, things get better when people keep showing up and helping, month after month, even when votes don't go their way. It's like building a house - you have to keep working at it, one brick at a time.

What makes our country strong isn't about winning or losing elections - it's about people staying involved in making their communities better. When the candidates we support don't win, we shouldn't give up. Instead, that's the perfect time to get more involved in our community. By taking positive action and helping out, we can create the changes we want to see in the future.

Being an active citizen means having both rights and duties in our community. Voting in elections matters a lot, but it's just one part of participating in democracy. We can all help improve our communities, whether or not our vote prevailed. The best thing a citizen can do is stay involved and help throughout the year, not just on election day.