The call of civic responsibility begins at the local level

It has already been a year since we cast our votes for President of The United States, but that doesn’t mean we must or should lay dormant until 2020 when we see the next lineup of candidates attempting to reign in the oval office.

The call of civic responsibility does not come once every four years and a degree in political science is not a requirement to understand politics or get involved; it’s an everyday process that needs all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds to work from the ground up in an effort to make the world a better place.

Whether you agree or disagree with our current president, or whoever holds a position of power, change, as well as constancy, begin at the smaller levels. Local elections, petitions, and small bills absolutely count and there are so many ways to voice one’s opinion than just helping pick the leader of the nation.

By being a regular part of the election process in every step, it is easier to advocate for projects and amendments, and to keep from feeling like the world is at stake when someone unsavoury is occupying a position of power and serving as the representation of millions of people.

In November and December alone, there are nine election events between not only Miami proper, but also Miami Beach, Eastern Shores, Homestead and Hialeah that include issues like taxation, general and special elections.

Miamidade.gov provides calendars of election events, lists of candidates, guides on how to change voter registration and different ways of voting. There is even information on how to get more involved in or simply more knowledgeable about public service in Miami-Dade County.

While primary and general elections won’t take place until August and November, respectively, voter registration for these close about a month in advance, so it’s better to be proactive when registering and otherwise prepare for elections.

If you refrain from regular interaction from and advocacy in public service, you’ll never see the world change as quickly and as well as it can.

As with civil and women’s rights or marriage equality, all of the biggest changes in political history began with a grassroots beginning that had to be passed through local and state levels before turning into a national issue.

The more we engage in local elections, the faster these issues are addressed on the national and world stage, and that is the progress that encourages people to vote.

It can be a beneficial or a vicious cycle, but we must decide to either do something or nothing, or the decision will be made for us by those who take advantage of others’ unwillingness to promote their own agendas.

Photo taken from Flickr.