Thinking About Running for a Local Office?
Published in The Fayette County Record, January 10, 2025
Written by a member of the League's Editorial 6-Person Editorial Team
Posted by President Janis Richardson
This is the first monthly column from the League of Women Voters of South Central Texas (lwvsouthcentraltx.org), a non-profit, nonpartisan organization focused on promoting voting and civic participation, educating the public about the key issues and candidates’ positions in elections, and securing our democracy for our posterity.
Most of us are still weary of elections, but nevertheless, mid-January is the opening of filing time, when candidates for many local offices must register with their political subdivisions! Are YOU someone who should be running?
History.com, “Elections in Colonial America,” reports that elections and voting in the 1700s and early 1800s in America were often raucous affairs, fueled by liquor, food, and free rides to the voting center, all paid for by candidates wanting to secure the most votes.
Elections were not by secret ballot either! Voice votes were held after long speeches that usually became shouting matches among the candidates. Most votes were only for local positions, as the English King controlled the appointment of most governorships and other high state offices. Clearly, democracy was anything but democratic in those days, with outcomes mostly influenced by the wealth and power the candidates exerted over their constituents or with the monarchy.
The secret ballot, which originated only in the mid-1800s, finally meant people could vote their consciences and select the most qualified/most preferred candidate without fear of retribution from those they did not support. These local elections, however, with all their faults, were the original form in which democracy emerged in America. Local elections continue to be critical to the lives of Americans in every state and territory, with local leaders now usually exerting more influence over our daily lives than state or national leaders do.
For example, school boards make decisions at every meeting that will alter the lives of the children in our community. Academics, extra-curricular activities, codes of dress and behavior, and even food and transportation services are all critical in the lives of every student enrolled, affecting also the lives of their families and the whole community. City councils oversee utility services (water, electricity, sewage), law enforcement, fire departments, traffic, emergency management, and street conditions. A breakdown in any of those can lead to chaos in our lives and be life-threatening. And County Judges and Commissioners have similar influence over those who live “in the country,” though city residents are also their constituents and are subject to their decision-making.
In the recent 2024 presidential election, 6.3 million fewer voters cast ballots than voted in the 2020 election, 158.5 million earlier v. 152.2 million this year. That’s almost 4% fewer voters who participated! For an organization like the League of Women Voters, that’s an alarming number, and we hope these monthly columns will promote greater interest in exercising our precious constitutional right as U.S. citizens, the right to vote by secret ballot.
Preparation for local elections this spring (city and school board in particular; all county elections are generally conducted in even-numbered years) is already underway. Candidates (both incumbents and new contenders) must register with the proper authorities for their names to appear on the ballot. The State of Texas sets candidate filing periods, and this year’s deadline for all local political subdivisions is Friday, February 14, 2025, with the start of filing a month before, January 15, 2025.
For those of us who care about our democracy, there’s no more important time than NOW to give thought to running for one of these local government offices. Qualifications differ for each one, so learn what’s required by calling your local city hall or school board administration office or searching online for your local jurisdiction. If you are not in a position to run, encourage others you know and respect to do so.
Remember: our democracy began and still begins at the local level. For your quality of life and that of your neighbors, we need the names of the best candidates on the ballot, and that is a matter that cannot wait!