Just don’t focus on the presidential candidates. Do your research concerning local, county, and state candidates. Here are a few websites to assist you in your research about your local, county, state, and national candidates and where they stand on issues that impact you:
This is who has the power to impact your daily life, community safety, housing, and public education:
Mayor or City Manager - appoints and dismisses key department heads, usually including the Chief of Police
City Council - have the final vote in creating laws and approving a city budget.
County Executive and County Commissioner - plays similar roles to the Mayor and City Council, but for issues affecting an entire county and set rules for broad countrywide programs, like transportation initiatives that connect multiple cities.
NOTE: County government also often serve areas of the country that are not incorporated into a municipal government, for instance with police and fire services. Some municipalities combine city and county governments into one consolidated entity, having the powers of both city and a county, for instance San Francisco, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Board of Education - can push for more funding, advocate for teachers’ and students’ safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, and decide how and what students are learning by setting policies, curriculums, and budgets for the school district.
Comptroller - oversees audits, taxes, and financial reports to ensure that money is being appropriated and used properly in cities and communities.
Judges - have the power to imprison people or give them freedom and in many states you may not be able to see any public records regarding their performance.
Special Note: According to the Baltimore Sun, Maryland judges serve the longest terms in the nation — 15 years for elected Circuit Court jurists, a decade for appointed District Court justices. But unlike 17 states and the District of Columbia, Maryland does not routinely conduct Judicial Performance evaluations of judges which is crucial in maintaining public trust, informing voters and helping judges improve.
District Attorney/City Attorney - has the power to prosecute police brutality and misconduct cases, or let such cases go without consequences; and can initiate reform in the criminal justice system and address inequities in sentencing, and advocate for changes to cash bail standards.