Your Vote Moves Local Government

In a presidential election year, the plight of politics is unavoidable. Every media source is publishing updated information, and by the time Election Day arrives, there is exhaustion from constant debate, sometimes even a feeling of knowing too much about the candidates. Regardless, voters feel informed, and turnout is significantly higher.

That difference between local and national elections was the focus of a conversation with Lee Miringoff, longtime Marist University political science professor and director of the Marist Poll. Miringoff argued that local elections are not less impactful; they simply do not receive the same exposure as national contests.

“Local elections can make a difference in people's lives, and you can make a difference in the outcome, if you want to,” he said, meaning that at the local level, the impact of a single voter can be easier to see.

Miringoff compared the attention gap to sports. 

“If you think about minor league baseball versus the majors, or about MLB during the regular season versus the playoffs, there is more hoopla around [the playoffs],” he said.

National politics are like the playoffs, and local politics are the regular season. It still counts and shapes the standings, affecting daily life directly, but it does not come with the same buzz.

He also discussed the “neighbor effect,” which is the idea that local elections are driven more by who voters know than what they know. But the same closeness that draws some people in can push others away, especially as the local press corps continues to shrink. 

Still, Miringoff pointed to an advantage in local media networks. “You probably get more true or accurate information locally, it’s just harder to come by,” he said.

“Democracy benefits and survives by an educated, informed population,” Miringoff added, warning that when valid information becomes inaccessible, participation drops and local decisions are made by a smaller group, regardless of their potential impact.

When asked about 2026 and the trends ahead, he said, “The White House and the national picture will set the mood for the local parties,” noting that historically, the party in charge performs poorly in midterm election years. With New York holding town and county elections in state and federal years like 2026, that national temperature could spill over to the local ballot.

Miringoff’s bottom line was simple: “Local elections can make a difference in people’s lives, and you can make a difference in the outcome, if you want to.”