Lee Hamilton

Columnist

Many states around the country next month will be holding municipal and (in some cases) state elections. Whether that’s true for your state or not, I want to make a case for why turning out to vote, even in what might seem to be minor local elections, really matters. But first, let’s look at why lots of people don’t vote.

In an era when local newspapers have vanished from many towns, and community organizations have dwindled in number and vitality, it can feel harder than ever to make an informed choice at the ballot box. It’s tougher to come by reliable local coverage, neighbors and civic organizations may no longer gather to compare notes, and national and online media drown out local priorities and perspectives. We’re busy with work and families and — especially as legislators in some states seek to make it harder to vote — getting to the polls can be a hassle. Yet I’d argue that these very trends make it more, not less, important to vote.

Let’s start with those local elections I mentioned. Mayors, councils, school boards, and county commissions determine zoning, taxes, infrastructure, policing, public education, and other policies affecting what it’s like to live where we do. Because turnout tends to be lower in municipal elections, a relative handful of votes can determine who controls a school board or a city council; when citizens don’t turn out, unrepresentative groups make decisions for everyone else. Moreover, the fact that solid local news coverage has become harder to find is exactly why citizens need to show up at the ballot box. If reporters aren’t around to pay attention, then voting itself — and boning up on the issues as you prepare to vote — is an act of civic oversight. It’s how we remind officeholders that we’re watching, and how we hold them accountable.

For most of my career, I’ve heard people justify not voting by arguing their vote won’t matter. I understand why people feel that way, but I don’t buy it, for two key reasons.

First, research by UCLA Prof. Clémence Tricaud has shown that while, on average, the margins between winning and losing candidates in federal elections have remained pretty stable over the decades, in the last 60 years “seat margins” — that is, the gap between the number of seats each party wins in a legislative body like the House, Senate, or Electoral College — have narrowed significantly. Had a small number of people voted differently in Georgia and Pennsylvania in 2020, for instance, their electoral votes could have given the election to Trump.

Which brings me to my second point. I firmly believe that voting isn’t just a way to boost a particular candidate or weigh in on a key issue; it’s also a signal that we value having a say in the direction of our city or country. In other words, by voting we reinforce the system — and when enough of us do so, we strengthen it. By contrast, when a fraction of the electorate votes, the people they elect feel less pressure to respond to the full range of voices they represent. Low turnout undermines a government’s moral authority.

It does even more damage than that. Cynicism discourages capable people from entering public service. When voters withdraw, they leave politics to the loudest and most extreme members of their communities. Participation — not just at the ballot box but in attending town halls, getting in touch with officials, organizing, and supporting good candidates — is the best way I know to show that citizens value integrity in public life.

I know that representative democracy demands work. It asks us to sort fact from fiction, learn which news sources give us trustworthy, fact-based information, and put in the time to listen to candidates so that we can judge them. But each ballot you cast is a message that the system belongs to the public, not to the few. Democracy survives only when people show up for it. It’s as simple as that.