It’s 2016, and it’s an election year. News outlets have been running stories about presidential candidates for months. Even if you’d rather not think about November’s presidential election, there’s little chance of escaping it.<\/p>\n
Presidential elections are a big deal, but that’s not the only office we’re electing in 2016. There are plenty of positions at the state and local level. State and local races aren’t nearly as theatrical as national politics, and they don’t get as much media attention, but they’re every bit as important. I’m talking about town meeting, boards of selectmen, alderman, school committee, and (if you’re ambitious) state representative.<\/p>\n
In 2015, I ran for town meeting<\/a> in Arlington. Arlington requires valid signatures from 10 registered voters to get on the ballot, and I gathered 20 to be safe. With a little effort spread over two afternoons, I was on the local ballot.<\/p>\n In the days leading up to the election, two friends and I knocked on doors in my precinct, reminded people about the upcoming election, and asked them to vote for me.<\/p>\n When election day rolled around, my precinct had five candidates for four positions. I came in second, with 53 votes — and now, Arlington has a Pirate in town meeting.<\/p>\n What does town meeting involve? Town meeting is the legislative body of a Massachusetts town. In Arlington, the meetings are held two evenings a week for several weeks starting in April. (Basically, town meeting remains in session until you’ve gone through the year’s business.)<\/p>\n