Countable Q&A: How Can I Get More Involved in Politics and Government?

Since Election Day, we’ve gotten a number of emails from Countable users asking for advice on how to stay more involved with politics and their government. Regardless of who you voted for in the presidential election or who you supported for Congress, there’s a lot you can do to be engaged and make sure that your voice is heard -- and not just two or four years from now on Election Day.

1. Contact Your Reps and Keep Up on the Issues

Congrats! Many of you have this first step down -- you’re at Countable, after all. President-Elect Donald Trump can’t accomplish much without Congress’s approval over the next four years. Members will need to agree to pay for a lot of the programs he’s proposed and there are a lot of legislative tactics they can use to help him accomplish his goals or stymie his proposals.

Republicans may control both chambers of Congress, but not all of them are going to automatically support Trump’s proposals. And in the Senate, Republicans will need 60 votes — and that means cooperation from at least nine Democrats — to get much of anything done.

So regardless of how you feel about some of the major issues that the new president and Congress will tackle this year, it’s more important than ever to stay in touch with your reps and let them know how you feel. You can use the Countable app to learn about legislation, see what both sides think in order to form your own opinion, vote on the issues and contact your reps in Congress to encourage them to vote with you.

One other thing: Try to avoid the echo-chamber. It’s incredibly important to hear what both sides are thinking, whether that’s asking your aunt at Thanksgiving (kindly) why she believes something that you think is absolutely nuts or reading stories from a news source that skews to the other end of the ideological spectrum or reading comments on a bill from people who disagree with you. It may not change your mind, but it’s important to recognize that intelligent and good people can disagree and hearing why could help you to better make your own case in the future.

2. There Is Still One Federal Election Going On That You Can Influence

Republicans will control 51 seats in the Senate beginning in January, while Democrats (plus the two independents who work with them) will have 48. There’s still one race that’s up in the air, though, and it’s in Louisiana.

Louisiana has kind of a weird election system: They held an all-party primary on Election Day, in which approximately two dozen candidates from both parties competed. The top two, Republican state Treasurer John Kennedy and Democratic Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, will now compete in the general election on December 10. Kennedy outperformed Campbell in the primary and Louisiana is a pretty red state, but the Democrats could pull out a surprise win there, particularly in an election that’s just before Christmas and not many are paying attention to.

Although Democrats will still be in the minority in the Senate, a 51-49 majority makes it that much tougher for Republicans to get things done. If Democrats win the seat, that means that Republicans will need 10 Democratic votes to accomplish a lot of their goals over the next two years.

If you’re in Louisiana, you could volunteer for one of the campaigns. For others, there’s always the chance to donate to help out your preferred candidate in the final month of the campaign. You can check out Kennedy’s campaign website here and Campbell’s here.

3. Get Involved Locally

One thing you’ll hear a lot from political experts: "All politics is local." One of the best ways to get and stay involved is to reach out to your local political party and start attending meetings. You’ll get to know more about what’s going on in your local area, as well as on the national stage, and find ways to volunteer and help out candidates and causes you care about.

A lot of local parties are fairly small and have a difficult time finding people to fill volunteer and job vacancies, so if you’re interested, there’s a decent chance you could get a new title along with it. The local chapters are also where political parties find delegates for state and national conventions and other major party events, so if that’s something you’re interested in during the next election cycle, this is a great place to start.

And if you’re concerned about a dearth of candidates you can actually get behind running for office, this is where you’ll meet promising up-and-comers and can encourage them to run. (Perhaps, that person is yourself. See below).

4. Volunteer and Donate to Causes You Care About

There are state and national groups for every political cause you can think of. While some were active during the campaign, it’s now — when people stop paying attention because the election is over and politicians start to actually pass legislation — that they need help the most, whether that’s through volunteering or donations. And come election time, campaigns at every level always need volunteers to make phone calls and go door-to-door.

Volunteering is going to get in you in on the ground floor, where you can meet others with similar political views and the drive to see them executed, and get a better sense from the organization of what they need and what you can do to help advance their cause. But donating has benefits too. Aside from the knowledge that you gave money where it was needed, donating almost always comes with a flurry of email updates about what the organization is up to and how you can help.

Here are some ideas:

• Elections/Voting: The League of Women Voters helps to register people to vote and make sure they get to the polls (you don’t have to be a woman to work with them). You can also volunteer as a poll worker through this U.S. government website.

• Abortion: Planned Parenthood is a great way to volunteer for pro-choice issues, while Susan B. Anthony’s List advocates for pro-life candidates and legislation.

• Young Voters: The Young Republicans National Foundation and the Young Democrats of America are great resources for "young" (18-40 year old) activists, helping to educate future leaders and engage young voters across the country.

• Women in Politics: VOICES of Conservative Women works to elect more women to government in positions across the country. EMILY’s List, on the left, has the same mission.

• The Environment: The Sierra Club has a lot of volunteer opportunities. The World Wildlife Fund offers a number of ways to get involved, including petitioning and becoming a volunteer ambassador. USA Conservation also accepts volunteers for 8-12 week conservation projects across the country.

• LGBT Issues: The Trevor Project is an organization devoted to suicide prevention for LGBT youth and has a number of volunteer opportunities.

• Civil Rights: The American Civil Liberties Union is a left-leaning civil rights organization that does a lot of work on social issues, voting rights, police reform, etc. on the local and national level. Your local chapter will have information on volunteering opportunities. On the right, the American Conservative Union promotes a number of Republican candidates and causes and occasionally accepts volunteers for big events.

• Sexual Assault: The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) also takes volunteers.

• Poverty: The Borgen Project, which is focused on getting the U.S. to do more to address global poverty, accepts volunteers nationwide.

5. Run for Office

Hey! You there! You’re clearly interested in politics and helping to improve the country if you’ve read this far. Why not get involved yourself? You don’t have to run for Congress or for president to make a difference. Maybe there’s a school board seat where you could get more involved in educating the next generation, or an opening on the neighborhood council so you can finally get someone to listen to you about that pothole that no one seems to be interested in fixing. There’s no better way to influence your government than as a part of it.

Like the other things on this list, running for office (even a small one) helps you to stay engaged, work on the issues and connects you to other people who are interested in politics and want to get involved. It also connects you to people who have even greater influence and people with whom you disagree. Even a small position can put you on a path to bigger things, if that’s what you’re interested in. The site Local Victory has some great resources for first-time candidates and your local party can help guide you as well.

— Sarah Mimms