Fellow Americans- the importance of knowing about your LOCAL government

Hey everyone!

When I was in US Government class in 12th grade, I was taught that participation in government is not just about the presidential elections. There's the state, county, and local elections. There's the motions and propositions which are on the ballot. All of these things are incredibly important. You can help with campaigns, sure. You can also sign petitions and join protests. Sure, it's difficult to do anything about the national government. That's because there's not supposed to BE a big national government. You're supposed to care about the local stuff though. That's where the power to influence your day-to-day life is, and that's where you can have the biggest influence.

But, this guy said it so much better than I did:

Why you should at least register to vote (a youtube video)

He even gave some links to help you with getting started!

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

BallotPedia is "an interactive almanac of US politics" (according to them). You can find out what issues are currently being considered for the ballot, what issues were recently voted on, and who is currently in office, along with how to contact them.

Also, http://www.usa.gov/

An important site. Bookmark it. It doesn't just deal with big government stuff, it deals with local stuff too. Want to know about your credit history? They have links there to find it out for free. The REAL free ways, not the stupid "freecreditreport.com" which isn't actually free. Questions about taxes at any level? This is the site for you. Have a small business and want to know the current laws about it? They have a section for that. Concerned citizen looking to know about your laws and such? They have a section for that. You can find out how and where to register to vote, when the upcoming elections are and where they will be held.

Both of these sites are great resources for getting involved at a state and local level, not just the national level. Getting the attention of your state and local officials is a hell of a lot easier, and it's easier to make a difference here.

Happy politicing!