On November 4, Boston held its off-year municipal election, both at the mayoral and local legislative levels. Coming at a time when our democracy is under attack at the national level, these elections mattered now more than ever.
Local elections are typically overlooked and considered less important than state-level or national elections. Nevertheless, these local officials provide the backbone that sustains the municipalities and towns of the state, whether that’s the City Council, School Board, City Controller, or County Commissioner. According to the AP, in the last national elections, Massachusetts saw a broad presence leaning more towards the Democratic Party. However, that doesn’t necessarily indicate the same at the local level. Heading towards this year’s municipal elections, there was a major focus on upholding democracy, and civic engagement was placed on these local elections.Â
This past fall semester, I’ve had the opportunity to be a policy intern for MassVOTE, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that “works to increase voter registration, education, and participation in historically underrepresented communities throughout Massachusetts.” As such, I got to witness firsthand the mobilizations and efforts that go into local elections, and even had the opportunity to sit down with my supervisor and their Director of Policy and Organizing, Marisol Santiago.Â
We discussed at large the principle of civic engagement and the role MassVOTE plays within it, with Santiago emphasizing that in a democratic society, “we believe that our voices shape the future, both from policy engagement, civic engagement, and all levels of decision making at the local, federal, and state level.”
Their organization seeks to build bridges between all major institutions within the state government that should care about conserving the tenets of democracy, especially when they’re being placed at risk. She describes it as a beautiful rooted tree, where it’s about building community and looking at who we are building this world with, focusing on strengthening policies that ensure living wages, accessible healthcare, essential benefits, and the fundamental rights to housing, food, and a sustainable, non-polluted environment that truly supports the well-being of local communities.
We also talked about elections and the importance of them in a democratic society. Santiago explains that we have to look at the local impact and build political power (not just at the booth); elections are just one of these vehicles. She explains that our vote is a vehicle for change, which we have earned and fought for. She also says that their job at MassVOTE is to ask people and engage communities about what is important to them in this election, and how this voting booth will feel important to them today. She goes on to say that:Â
“First-time voters, frequent voters, certain information such as language services, and lived experiences take an extra layer of advocacy and partnership,” Santiago said. “Bringing people into the process, as well as taking time to educate people about what’s on the ballot, and making sure what are the issues people pay attention to, what issues are people missing. An election is not the only way to engage voters; what happens after the election is policy work, and that is another central focus.”
Santiago also highlighted some important initiatives that have come up following this election, such as working toward being able to pass Ranked Choice Boston, where, with their coalition, they introduced a homeowner petition – a local option bill hearing – in which other municipalities are following suit. It’s initiatives like these that take an active group of advocates to look at an issue to get community and collaboration with local elected officials. That’s why when it comes to local elections, you want to make sure it’s not just about the officials getting elected, but about whether the voter understands the process, what’s at stake, and the policy mobilization that comes afterward.
Coming into the 2026 Midterm election, it’s important to start mobilizing and organizing our community to make sure that our voters are educated and protected. It’s also crucial that all candidates have equal opportunity, whether that be at the local or state level.Â
Make sure you’re registered to vote and stay up to date with your local elections!
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