Why "the Primaries" Are So Crucial

As the crazy and unstable political world we are experiencing turns, it can feel that we cannot do anything to instill positive change in our communities. We're just one dot in the whole earth, surely we don't have any power, right? WRONG.

That is where the primary elections come in. "The primaries," is what you will hear them referred to, are basically a way for you to choose which person in the party that you want to appear in the ballot in the general elections. Ie: You have x amount of republicans that are all running against each other in the primary election, and whoever wins the most votes, appears as the single republican on the ballot that upcoming fall. And, they are usually running against other party candidates. If you see the general election ballot and think, "I don't think any of them have what it takes," then you should be voting in the primary elections prior. And, get your neighbors, friends, family and community members to join you because they are so important to local issues - the primary elections usually have the least amount of voters.

Why should we care about this? You can research the primary candidate before the primary election to see what their background and education are, how long they have been involved in the community, what causes they support and more. At this stage, you may think about what you and your local community actually needs and then cast your vote for the person that you believe represents your party the best.

Primaries do not just happen in the fall, they can be held anytime in the year, though they mostly happen within February to June. If you would like to see when your state's next primary election is happening, vote411.org has put together a really easy-to-use directory here.

Voting in "the primaries" can seem daunting or uncertain, but we really believe that it is one of the best places to begin with your voting journey.

Think of it as baby steps with BIG impacts to your local community, city and local organizations. Not to mention, one of the folks will end up on the ballot in the general election in November, so make sure that you choose a good one that is going to represent and fight for the causes that are important to you and your fellow constituents.

Check to make sure your voter registration is up-to-date or even register make sure - and get out there, it is up to 'US!