From Voting to Advocating by Henry Mantel

"The most important title is not president or prime minister, but citizen." —President Barack Obama

It is easy to feel helpless nowadays. America is, arguably, more an oligarchy than a republic; only the wealthiest seem to have any influence over public policy. 

But ordinary citizens can still influence our government. The problem is that most simply never try, either because they do not know how, have the time, or think it is worth the effort. There is nothing I can do about the latter two, but I can do something about the first one.

There are a lot of ways a regular citizen can influence politics in America. Some are simple and quick, others less so. Here is a list of ways you can make a difference.

1.     Voting

This one is obvious, yet only slightly more than half of Americans vote in presidential elections, and less than half do during off years. Voting is the surest and best way to influence policy in America. How difficult voting is can depend heavily on which part of which state you live in, but it is always necessary.

There are people who say “my vote doesn’t matter, so why vote?” The only time your voice doesn’t matter is when you don’t say anything. Voting has ramifications beyond who wins a single race. Politicians make policy decisions based on who likely voters are. Political campaigns contact regular voters first. The candidate who wins the city council seat in an odd year could be running for Congress five years later.

Even if your preferred candidate has no chance of winning, vote. Even if you don’t have a preferred candidate running, vote. Even if the weather’s bad, vote. Vote in every single election for every single thing on the ballot. Every vote counts and one vote can decide an election. (Follow this link to register to vote or check your voter registration.)

2.     Donating to and Volunteering for a Campaign

Speaking from personal experience, campaigns love volunteers. Every political campaign relies heavily on volunteers to get the candidate’s name and message out to voters. There is no better way to influence the outcome of a race than to spend time talking to other voters about it.

Volunteering usually involves either making calls or knocking on doors. Statistically, the best way to convince someone to vote for your candidate is through a face-to-face conversation. If knocking on random strangers’ doors is too nerve wracking, calling them is the second best option. Bigger campaigns tend to use autodialers, so you don’t even have to spend any time dialing numbers.

If you do not have any free time, donating to campaigns is also useful. Campaigns are perpetually strapped for cash. A single donation can mean more flyers, signs, or ads for the campaign, which go a long way in helping get the message out (even if they aren't particularly persuasive.)

3.     Answering Polls

Answering polls is the most under appreciated way of influencing politics. Politicians care about polls. A lot. It can be difficult to determine where the majority of the electorate stands on certain issues, so polls are useful. Not all polls are reliable, but some pollsters are more reliable than others.

Problem is, most polls are done over the phone. Personally, I don’t answer my phone anymore unless I am expecting a call or it is a number I recognize. That means my opinion is perpetually left out of polling data. Meanwhile, the old folks in retirement homes who can remember a time before caller ID are always represented in polling data. 

I am not about to suggest you pick up the phone for every unknown number, just be aware that if you do and it is someone taking a poll, then it is an opportunity to influence the narrative.

4.     Contacting Your Elected Representatives

What about after the campaign is over? Well, regardless of who won, the elected representative now has the job of representing your interests. That is hard to do if your rep does not know what your interests are. If you do not know who your reps are, Common Cause has a very useful tool for finding out.

Letting your representatives know your feelings about the issues is essential. The best way to do that is in person. If you can’t get an in person meeting with them, call their office. You probably won’t be able to get your rep on the phone directly, but whomever you talk to will take a message about your stance and pass it on. Secretaries in legislative offices often keep tallies on where constituents stand on the issues of the day.

If you do not want to speak to a real person, you can always e-mail. Every elected official has a webpage so that constituents can reach them. I try to e-mail my representatives once a week, usually about the issues that are most current, but sometimes about issues that I'm particularly concerned about. It is a good habit to get into.

5.     Donating to and Joining Advocacy Groups

So, you have voted, campaigned, and contacted your representatives and you still want to do more? Then it is time for direct advocacy.

No matter what issue you care about, there are advocacy groups devoted to it. (If there aren’t, start one.) If you still are not keen about actually talking to people, advocacy groups can always use more money. 

But if you are willing to put yourself out there and spend your free time on direct advocacy, then there are groups that would love your help. This often means joining demonstrations, gathering signatures, visiting legislators, and voter outreach. 

From my own experience, the most efficient way to advocate is to devote yourself to one issue. Many people want to advocate for a lot of different issues, but you only have so much free time, so it can be hard to advocate well for more than one. 

6.     Running for Office

Someone once told me that the only way you’re ever going to be 100% satisfied with your elected officials is to run for office yourself. So, if you have gone through every item on this list and you are still not satisfied with the way things are, then consider taking matters into your own hands.

The first step in running for office is to figure out which office. Starting with a local office, such as School Board, is probably a good idea if you have never run for office before. But if you are feeling ambitious, then Congress could definitely use some new blood.

After that, you need to get your name on the ballot, which means petition gathering. Then you need to campaign, which means a lot of knocking on doors, making calls, meet-and-greets, media appearances, and asking for money. If you manage to win, then congratulations, you’re no longer just a citizen, you’re an elected official. Good luck.