How we can make a real difference
What makes a real difference in elections? How do we win more elections at the county and state levels? How do we engage voters and help them realize their vote does make a difference? It all starts at the local level, in each town and in every election. Currently, in most of the towns in Hancock county, we do not have a person who knows when a local election for school or select board is upcoming, what positions are open and is recruiting qualified, caring people to run. Local elections are most often not about national politics, they are about people who have the background in everything from budgeting and fiscal matters to engineering and common sense. Unfortunately, currently there is an effort to roll back protections for trans students and eliminate instruction in human understanding (like the anti DEI efforts). The reason is because it’s easier to target small groups of people and cast them as bad actors. There are groups with misguided agendas recruiting people to run for school boards and sometimes they get elected because no one else is running. We can do something about this. If you know people who would be good on a school or select board, contact us about being involved. It doesn’t take much time but can make a real difference.
Hand in hand with finding good candidates is the effort to launch community canvassing. This is the effort to have more conversations with voters about what matters to them. It means visiting with people who didn’t vote in the last election, listening to their concerns and returning a few months later for a follow up visit. Hancock County will be offering training in how to do this effectively and studies show that community canvassing works at increasing voter participation and also more wins for candidates we support. Again, it doesn’t take much time but is highly rewarding. You can do community canvassing on your time schedule and you’ll see it makes a Real Difference. About 20% of eligible voters did not vote in 2024 and if we cut that in half in 2026 it will make a wave of a difference. Fill out our Volunteer Form and we’ll help you get started.
GET INVOLVED AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL
Did you know that most towns have a Democratic Municipal Committee or that some towns band together to form a Democratic Regional Committee? Our municipal/regional committees help connect us with like-minded, caring neighbors. They are crucial for thinking of people who might run for local and state offices and then getting them elected. They can be fun, too! If you want to be sure our Legislature maintains its (now very slim) blue majority, this is the place to start. Your ideas and energy will be welcome! Reach out and let’s start a conversation!