Elections
by Gianmarco Katz
What’s the Problem?
The American voting system has historically discriminated against non-landowners, women, native people, and people of color, while those with entrenched political power have consistently sought to limit participation. Today, barriers to register, stay registered, or cast votes are increasing as state governments continue to obstruct voting rights via voter roll purges, mail-in voting limitations, and voter ID restrictions. Nonetheless, local leaders can still safeguard voters by promoting registration, building out infrastructure, facilitating early voting, increasing the recruitment of skilled poll workers, and preserving the integrity of local-level elections. They can also implement campaign finance reforms to ensure elected officials represent the interests of the many and not just the wealthy few. Where they are restricted by preemption, localities should message the public about these actions to emphasize their importance and advocate for change at the state and federal levels.
What are People Currently Doing?
Increasing Voter Registration
In states without Automatic Voter Registration, local leaders can take steps to expand voter registration through agencies, landlords, schools, and absentee methods. Agency-based registration programs like the one led by New York City offer eligible persons the opportunity to register when applying for or receiving services such as affordable housing, health programs, and driver’s licenses. Renter registration policies require landlords to provide tenants with voter registration forms during move-in. Madison and Minneapolis have used policies to increase voter turnout and awareness of voter registration practices for new residents in their municipalities. Local officials can also proactively mail voter registration material absentee ballot requests forms, and prepaid return envelopes to every resident eligible to vote. Washington D.C. provides prepaid postage for mail-in ballots, and cities like Newport, RI permit residents to request absentee ballots online. School districts can also help register eligible high school students, and some states permit pre-registering for ineligible high school students, and conducting annual high school voter registration drives.
Improving the Voting Process
Localities can reduce barriers to participation on election day by expanding the number and accessibility of polling places. Following changes to the balloting timelines and requirements in Minnesota, Minneapolis expanded voting hours and locations. Milwaukee also increased early voting locations between the 2016 and 2020 elections. Sandusky, OH declared election day a paid holiday for all city employees, and Lynchburg, VA and Los Angeles offer free public transit on election days. Los Angeles County also aims to make voting more accessible for all individuals by providing many multilingual services, including recruiting over 4,000 bilingual poll workers and creating a translated text service that identifies polling locations. Transgender voters whose IDs may not accurately reflect their gender identity or presentation are especially targeted by voter ID restrictions. These voters may need resources and support to ensure they can exercise their voice.
Local governments must ensure the functionality of every polling location within their jurisdictions by implementing new strategies for recruiting, training, and protecting election workers. Some cities have reduced restrictions on who can serve, such as Washington D.C., where students as young as 16 can work the polls. Milwaukee incentivized residents to serve as election workers by increasing their pay to $220 stipend for full-day workers, with an additional bonus for bilingual applicants. Cuyahoga County, Ohio and the University of Pennsylvania have provided paid leave for public employees that work the polls. This policy toolkit highlights additional recruitment strategies including electronic payment methods and poll worker protections. Threats and acts of violence have increased in recent election cycles. It is critical that local officials identify imminent threats of election violence and build community resilience through risk assessments, resource allocation, and collaboration with community leaders. This resource outlines existing laws regarding the prevention of voter and poll worker harassment and intimidation. County officials in Arizona were trained to prevent election disruptions due to artificial intelligence, and Dane County, WI and Durham County, NC have relocated polling sites to more secure locations.
Election Finance
Municipalities can even the playing field and amplify the voice of everyday voters by providing public financing for municipal elections which require candidates to adhere to certain restrictions, like minimizing their campaign expenditures or limiting the size of acceptable donations. One of the most effective forms of public financing is matching funds from small donors, where candidates receive “matching” public funds for every small dollar contribution they receive. Matching programs are used in Washington, D.C, Denver, CO, Los Angeles, CA, and New York City, where the program helped achieve the city’s most diverse city council to date.
Democracy voucher programs, pioneered in Seattle, WA, are another effective system of public financing, which can increase the number of residents participating in the campaign finance system. Providing tax credits or rebates also increases participation by incentivizing taxpayers to make contributions knowing they will receive some money back. Public financing strategies paired with laws that limit campaign contributions help ensure elected officials prioritize the needs of the public at large. Cities like Washington, D.C., Albuquerque, NM, New York City, Chicago, IL, and Milwaukee, WI limit the amount of money individuals can donate to municipal campaigns. Denver, CO has also banned direct contributions from businesses and unions, while Chicago, IL has banned contributions from lobbyists and individuals in business with the city.
Ultimately, effective campaign finance reforms incorporate transparency to reduce the influence of "dark money" (funds from groups that do not disclose their donors or politics). Philadelphia, PA’s Campaign Finance Law and Ventura County, CA’s Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance serve as model examples of disclosure requirements in action.
Local-level Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering undermines the fairness of elections by manipulating district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group. California’s ACLU provides a legal guide with effective redistricting strategies, and this FairVote memo outlines how the pending Fair Representation Act would mitigate gerrymandering through multi-member districts and ranked choice voting. This policy brief outlines how localities can improve voting accessibility for communities disproportionately impacted by gerrymandering and voter suppression measures. Some cities are also combating prison gerrymandering by removing correctional facilities from their redistricting data prior to redrawing district lines. Cities should ensure that maps for local elections are fair by establishing independent city ward redistricting commissions. Cities like Austin, TX, Jersey City, NJ and Los Angeles, CA have established independent redistricting committees (IRCs) to prevent gerrymandering and ensure every vote reflects the best interests of a voter’s community.
Ranked Choice and Fusion Voting
Ranked choice voting is an alternative electoral system that allows voters to rank their candidate choices: last place candidates are eliminated and their vote percentages are redistributed, ensuring that the winning candidate meets a 50% majority threshold. This system better represents voters’ preferences, increases representation for women and people of color, and provides more opportunities for third-party candidates. Australia and Ireland use ranked choice voting in national elections, and in the U.S., Minneapolis, Santa Fe, NM, and Washington D.C. now incorporate ranked choice voting in local elections. Advocates and independent organizations can push to establish ranked choice voting at the local level through ballot referendums like Washington D.C.’s Initiative 83, which established both ranked choice voting and allowed open primaries. Open primary elections are already permitted in many states and allow registered independent or third party voters to vote for partisan candidates. Fusion voting allows multiple political parties to nominate the same candidate, which improves opportunities for minority party candidates that can benefit from a larger support coalition. In states where it is preempted, localities can promote fusion voting by supporting minor parties, collaborating with advocacy groups, and advocating at the state level.
Local Government and School Board Election Practices
Localities can increase voter turnout in school boards and other local elections by coordinating election timing with major election cycles, permitting same-day and online registration, and increasing election outreach to marginalized communities. School boards play many important roles in their communities including drawing school boundaries, approving budgets, and hiring district officials. However, school board elections often exhibit low participation from both voters and candidates. Seats are often uncontested, and crucial decisions that impact school safety, teacher hiring, and students’ rights are often placed in the hands of small, motivated groups of voters. Local officials can utilize voter guides for school board elections to inform voters about the upcoming ballot and help them make a plan to vote.
Taking it to the Next Level
When preempted by state legislation, local governments and nonpartisan organizations should engage in advocacy efforts regarding voting accessibility and voting rights. This Fair Elections Center report provides strategies and model legislation to promote same-day registration and early/mail-in voting, as well as ease voter ID restrictions (see this Brennan Center resource for a state-by-state guide identifying restrictions on those measures). Both K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions can help increase election participation for students with this toolkit. Local officials, advocates, and residents should implement effective messaging strategies to facilitate productive discussions about educational issues leading up to local government and school board elections. Nonprofit organizations also play a significant role in engaging voters and can help close gaps in turnout. Overall, localities play an important role in facilitating and protecting the democratic process for both local and national-level elections, thus local officials should continue to find ways to make the process easier and safer for voters, while communicating with the public about changes that are needed.
Allies, Advocates, and Advisors
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