From Awareness to Action: How to Get Involved in Local Government and Drive Real Change

As uncertainty with our elected leaders looms and stress levels remain at an all-time high, many are asking what it looks like to show up civically right now. At She Should Run, we make it a point to never underestimate the importance of grassroots activism in creating real community change. In fact, in a recent survey to our community in January 2025, 55% of respondents said they would get involved in their local government if they were given simple actions and clear steps.

Did you know that there are more than 500,000 elected offices in the United States and that most of them sit within 90,837 local governments? Local governments run our city utilities, libraries, fire departments, public swimming pools, parks, local law enforcement, and schools, just to name a few. Local government is made up of city council members, mayors, county commissioners, sheriffs, and school boards.

In his article, “How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change,” former President Barack Obama highlights, “It’s mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. It’s district attorneys and state’s attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved in police misconduct. Those are all elected positions. In some places, police review boards with the power to monitor police conduct are elected as well.”

Local government touches every aspect of your life and affects how well you and your fellow community members can thrive in society. If you aren’t sure where to start with local government, here are three first steps.

Attend (or Virtually Attend) a City Council Meeting

There’s hardly anything in your life that your local government doesn’t have some influence over. The easiest way to know exactly what your local government does and who is a part of it is to attend their meetings.

The agendas of city council meetings are available publicly on your local government’s website. If you want your city council to address an issue you care about, you can request they add it to their agenda. Once you are at the meeting, listen closely to what topics are presented and how your city councilors address them. What are their solutions? What are their thoughts and ideas for making your community a better place to live?

Often, city council meetings will have a reserved time period, either at the end or the beginning, for citizen participation. This is when you can verbally share your thoughts on a particular subject. Maybe you don’t like that tax increase, or you want to see state grant money go to a particular service. City council meetings are a place for you to share your opinion. Your local government wants to hear from you so they can make an informed decision that addresses the concerns of their constituents.

To find when your local government’s meetings are and the agenda, google your town or city’s name and “city council meetings.” Ask a friend to join so you’re not alone!

Join a Board or Commission

Are you looking for volunteer experience and have some free time on your hands to give back to your community? Try joining your town’s local board or commission. Many cities and counties have appointed local boards and commissions that advise the local government on a number of policy issues, from public safety to education, housing, and economic development. Boards and commissions enable citizens to get involved in the policy-making process and allow for a broader perspective to be considered when a City Council is making decisions.

For example, in Washington, DC they have a Commission for Women that consists of 21 members appointed by the Mayor of the city. The commission focuses on conducting studies and making recommendations on the areas of ending discrimination based on sex, equal pay, education equality, and new and expanded services for women in the D.C. area.

In Collingswood, New Jersey, they have a Historic Board that works “to safeguard Collingswood’s rich architectural heritage and history.”

In Baltimore, Maryland, they have a Civilian Review Board that is “an independent agency in the city through which members of the public can issue a complaint against officers of various law enforcement units.”

If you’re a parent or want to get young adults involved, we’ve got you covered! Many towns have their own Youth Advisory Councils that serve as a way to get young people connected with local government and learn how policy is made. Take the city of Winston Salem, North Carolina for example. They have 20 appointed positions for youth to join and get involved in their city’s community programming.

Boards and Commissions are almost always unpaid volunteer positions, and they are great stepping stones to understanding how your local government works, meeting new community members, and exploring what life in public leadership could look like for you. To find out what boards and commissions are offered in your town, start by googling your local town or city’s name and “Boards and Commissions,” or you can head to your city’s local government website.

Volunteer for a Local Candidate’s Campaign

Not ready to fully step into the candidate position, but curious about what goes into running for local office? Start by volunteering for your local candidate’s campaign. Local elections happen every single year across the country, so be sure to check when your state’s elections for state and local government are.

Local candidates will often rely heavily on volunteers to help them get out the vote, host events, and spread the word about their campaign. Volunteers often go door-knocking, which is going door to door in a specific area to share information about your candidate and ask citizens who they plan on voting for on Election Day. This is a great way to learn more about what your community is looking for in its leadership and get to know the lay of the land.

And if you’re interested in running for local office one day, there’s no better way to learn how to run a campaign for a local position than to join one yourself. You’ll get to know the candidate more personally than you would for a congressional race and see up close what the day-to-day of a local campaign is like.

Next time you see a yard sign with a candidate’s name or hear about someone running for city council in your town, check them out. Read their story and their platform, and sign up to volunteer. If they don’t have a volunteer sign-up option on their website, call them or email them that you’re interested in volunteering. Trust me, they won’t say no.

These are just a few ways to get involved, but simple actions can influence major outcomes. Your local government needs your voice to build a better community for everyone.

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This blog was written by Erin Loos Cutraro the Founder and CEO of She Should Run, a trailblazing nonpartisan nonprofit on a mission to revolutionize the landscape of women in American political leadership by shattering barriers and redefining possibilities for women in elected office.