{"id":14671,"date":"2018-10-15T10:15:07","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T15:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.austinyc.org\/?p=14671"},"modified":"2018-10-15T16:30:06","modified_gmt":"2018-10-15T21:30:06","slug":"yes-voting-in-local-elections-is-important-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/austinyc.org\/yes-voting-in-local-elections-is-important-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Yes, Voting In Local Elections Is Important. Here\u2019s Why."},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]By Amy Stansbury<\/strong><\/em>
\nAmy is a member of the Austin Young Chamber Economic Development Committee. She is also the co-founder of A Functional Democracy<\/a>, an organization that teaches millennials how to get involved in local government.<\/em><\/p>\n

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You\u2019ve seen the ads. You\u2019ve watched the commercials. You know you\u2019re supposed<\/em> to vote.<\/p>\n

Celebrities have told you to to do it. Your pushy Facebook friends have told you to do it.<\/p>\n

But have they ever really explained why?<\/p>\n

Unless you\u2019ve been undergoing a complete media blackout for the past few months, you know that there is a big senate race coming up in Texas (I\u2019m looking at you Ted Cruz and Beto O\u2019Rourke) and voting in that race is important.<\/p>\n

But what I want to talk to you about today is what\u2019s going on at the very bottom of your ballot. When you walk into the voting booth on Election Day, Cruz and O\u2019Rourke will not be the only names you\u2019ll see. If you keep scrolling, you\u2019ll find Austin\u2019s local elections.<\/p>\n

For a lot of people, these are an afterthought. For me, they\u2019re the main event.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s going to be on the City of Austin ballot this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

First up, the mayor\u2019s race. Everyone who lives in Austin will have the opportunity to vote for our next mayor. This is the person who is going to decide the direction of our city for the next four years.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s not all. Half of our city\u2019s 10 City Council districts are also up for election. If you live in districts 1, 3, 5, 8, or 9 you will have the opportunity to pick your next City Council person in November.<\/p>\n

(Don\u2019t know which district you live in? You can look it up here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

And last but not least, there will be a ton of propositions on the ballot for you to vote on. These will be lettered Props A through K and will allow you to vote yes or no on everything from new city policies to affordable housing bonds.<\/p>\n

So why is it so important for you to participate in these local elections?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Because almost nobody does.<\/p>\n

That last time we held a mayoral election in this city, more than 85 percent of Austinites did not participate (in the runoff). Eighty-five percent![\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”14674″ custom_style=”margin-left: auto; margin-right:auto; padding-top:20px; padding-bottom:20px;”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Photo from the Who Votes For Mayor?<\/a> project<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, people under the age of 30 made up less than 5 percent of the electorate (despite the fact that Austin is one of the largest millennial cities in the country). In fact, voters 65 and older in Austin had 7 times the electoral clout than voters ages 18 to 34.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”14679″ custom_style=”margin-left: auto; margin-right:auto; padding-top:20px; padding-bottom:20px;”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Photo from the Who Votes For Mayor?<\/a> project<\/p>\n

No offense to our city\u2019s senior citizen population, but the fact that people 65 and up are so great at voting has a real impact on policy. The types of issues the city decides to take up and the decisions that are made are influenced by who participates in the process.
\nAnd right now, millennials are simply not participating.<\/p>\n

The good news is\u2026 we can change that!<\/p>\n

Since so few people participate in local elections, a few votes really can make a difference. Just take a look at the chart below. [\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”14681″ custom_style=”margin-left: auto; margin-right:auto; padding-top:20px; padding-bottom:20px;”][vc_column_text]As you can see, in the 2014 elections, some City Council members were able to win with only a few thousand votes.<\/p>\n

When turnout numbers are this low, just a few new voters really can make a difference. That\u2019s why, this year, I\u2019m asking my fellow 20- and 30-somethings to join me in doing two<\/strong> things:<\/p>\n

1. Attend the Ballot Boxing Mayoral Forum (hosted by KUT, the Austin Monitor, Glasshouse Policy, the Austin Tech Alliance, and A Functional Democracy) on Monday, October 22nd.<\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”14682″ onclick=”custom_link” link=”https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/141355473483337\/” href=”https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/141355473483337\/” custom_style=”margin-left: auto; margin-right:auto; padding-top:20px; padding-bottom:20px;”][vc_column_text]You can\u2019t be expected to vote if you know nothing about the candidates who are running. That\u2019s why this event is so perfect! During the forum you\u2019ll have the opportunity to hear from the people who want to be our city\u2019s next mayor, allowing you to make an informed decision come Election Day!<\/p>\n

Plus, before the forum begins, the Austin Young Chamber will be helping to host a happy hour at Full Circle Bar on East 12th Street, complete with free skeeball and some fun civic activities!<\/p>\n

You can RSVP here.<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Organize a voting friend-date with three of your best pals!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Friends don\u2019t let friends vote alone.
\nDecide when and where you\u2019re going to vote and then invite a few of your friends to come along. Make a day of it! When you\u2019re done, stop by your favorite bar for a celebratory drink! Or grab a good job cupcake from your favorite bakery.<\/p>\n

And one more thing, make sure that your friends are educated about the local elections, as well as the fancy national ones. Answer their questions, help them figure out which district they live in, and show them the League of Women Voters guide for additional info.<\/p>\n

After all, you never know when just one or two votes will make all the difference \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n