Democracy is a participation sport.

Counties recruit — and usually pay — poll workers to run voting locations on Election Day. It is one of the most direct ways to keep elections running.

1. 1Confirm eligibility: typically a registered voter in your state. Many states also take 16–17-year-old student poll workers.
2. 2Apply through your county or city elections office — they handle hiring and scheduling.
3. 3Complete the short paid training they assign before Election Day.
4. 4Work your assigned location on Election Day (and often early-voting days).

Delegates represent voters at the party conventions that nominate candidates. "Superdelegates" — formally automatic delegates in the Democratic Party — are party officials and elected leaders who attend by virtue of their office, not election.

1. 1Contact your county or state party committee and ask about their delegate-selection rules.
2. 2Get involved locally first — attend your precinct caucus or county/district convention.
3. 3File or stand for election as a delegate when your party opens the process.
4. 4Pledge to a candidate (or run uncommitted) per your party’s rules.

Thousands of seats — school board, city council, judgeships, legislature — are on ballots every cycle, and many go uncontested. Running starts with paperwork, not a fortune.

1. 1Pick the office and check its eligibility rules (age, residency, citizenship) — they vary by seat and state.
2. 2File a declaration of candidacy with the relevant elections office before the deadline.
3. 3Qualify for the ballot: gather the required nominating signatures and/or pay the filing fee.
4. 4If you will raise money, register a campaign committee (the FEC for federal office; your state agency otherwise).

About half of states let citizens put laws or constitutional amendments directly on the ballot. The bar is high — and the rules vary widely — but it is real lawmaking by petition.

1. 1Check whether your state allows citizen initiatives, and for which kinds of measures.
2. 2Draft the measure and submit it for an official title and summary (often via the Attorney General or a state office).
3. 3Gather the required number of valid voter signatures before the deadline.
4. 4Once it qualifies, the measure goes to voters at the next eligible election.

Campaign money is heavily regulated and disclosed. Whether you are running or supporting a campaign, the basics are the same: register, account for everything, and report on time.

1. 1Register a campaign committee and open a dedicated bank account before raising or spending.
2. 2Know your contribution limits and prohibited sources (federal rules are set by the FEC; state and local rules differ).
3. 3Track every contribution and expenditure — small-dollar and in-kind included.
4. 4File disclosure reports by every deadline; they become public record.

You do not need a title to make a difference. A few hours can move real outcomes in your community.

1. 1Register voters, or help friends and family check their registration and find their ballot.
2. 2Canvass or phone-bank for a candidate or issue you support.
3. 3Volunteer as a nonpartisan poll observer through a trusted organization.
4. 4Show up: attend city council, school board, and county meetings where local decisions get made.