IGNITE's Blog

The Local Politics 101 blog series zeroes in on the role of several local and state-level elected officials, including mayors and governors. These officials have a substantial impact on our lives. Voting for local and state-level candidates means getting a step closer to addressing or resolving important issues. Learn more about what state attorneys general are, what they do, and how you can become one. 

Politics starts at the local level. In this series on our blog, we’re taking an in-depth look at local elected offices. As much as our lives are influenced by the legislators in Washington, our lives are significantly impacted by local elected officials, such as governors. Learn more about what a governor is, what a governor does, and how you can become one.

Politics is personal and it starts at the local level. Local elected officials are the ones who make decisions that affect our everyday lives and impact communities. In this new series on our blog, we’re taking an in-depth look at local elected offices. We’re starting with mayors, so keep reading to learn more about what a mayor is, what they do and how you can become one. 

What we know thus far is that young people voted at rates we have never seen - from 14% of the electorate in Michigan to a whopping 21% of the electorate in Georgia.*

As we commemorate the centennial of women’s suffrage in 2020, it is important to remember that not every woman could cast a ballot after the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Women of color couldn’t exercise their voting right for more than four decades until the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. Despite the fact that only 100 years ago, women couldn’t even vote in the United States, the current 116th Congress comprises the highest number of female members in its history so far. Out of 127 women in the Congress today, 48 of them identify as women of color—4 in the Senate and 44 in the House. One of the notable women of color in Congress is Senator Kamala Harris who, as of November 7, 2020, is the Vice President-elect of the United States. Although the representation of women of color in Congress is yet to reach its pinnacle, the 116th Congress is a beautiful reminder of how far we have come. Keep reading below about some of the remarkable women of color in the 116th Congress: 

Election Day is over just like that. Now what? This election has consumed many of us for what feels like the better part of a year. It’s fair to be feeling tired, burnt out, and frankly ‘over’ political discussions. But in reality, we’re just getting started. Now is when we begin the next phase of our civic duty - we hold politicians accountable for their promises.

Phew! We made it through what might be the most taxing and emotionally draining election of our lifetime. People were stressed out before the election, and now having to wait to see who will be the winner, it seems like we can’t catch a break. If you’re feeling stressed or having some post-election blues, you certainly aren’t alone. 

lections are far from over at the close of polling on Election Day. After everyone’s cast their ballots, we still have a ways to go before election results are finalized and made official. In this post, we take a brief look at how and when presidential election results (from the general election) are certified.

Your vote does matter! There is no way to say that loudly enough. We need to knock down every argument we hear about why voting doesn’t matter because it truly does. In 2016, the winning margin in Michigan averaged only two votes per precinct. Even if you don’t live in a swing state, you should still vote. Why? Because there’s a lot of talk about contesting the results of this election if President Trump isn’t reelected. However, it’s awfully hard to contest a landslide win.

A recent analysis found that more than 558,000 presidential primary election ballots were rejected because of mistakes. Yikes! That means that over 100,000 people didn’t get their votes counted or voices heard.