School Board Election Primaries Set for May 20, 2025! - What You Must Know | Action Roadmap
Everything You Need to Know to Get Ready for the Upcoming School Board Elections in Your State.
One of the best ways to make a difference in your local schools is to participate in electing the members of your local school board. Just as important as the elections of the president of your congresspeople, elections for school board members are an integral step in helping to decide the direction of education in your city and county.
In this article, I’m going to walk you step by step through the process of getting ready for school board elections in your area.
Is There An Election Coming Up in Your Area?
The first step is to know if there’s an election coming up and where those elections will be. The elections will occur in two stages, with a primary election for candidates of a given political party (typically in May) and a general election across all political parties (typically in November).
You can discover if there’s an election in your state or county by searching for the official websites of your state and local government. Those websites will offer specific information on the election dates, polling locations, and registered candidates.
If you’re unable to identify where your government resources are, you can also check out Ballotpedia. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit resource to inform ordinary people about recent and ongoing events in American politics.
Using Ballotpedia’s Simple Ballot Lookup tool, you can look up information about the upcoming elections in your area, giving you all of the links you need to help you register and prepare to vote. You will be informed of what positions are being elected, what ballot initiatives are being proposed, and when the votes will be cast.
Are You Registered to Vote?
Once you can confirm that there will be an election in your region, it is important to verify that your voter registration is up to date and that you have filled out an application for the upcoming election.
How elections will be handled will vary from state to state. It is vital that you confirm your registration yourself when you know an election is coming up. Even if you’ve voted in a recent election, it is never a bad idea to ensure that you’re still on the voting rolls, so that you are not surprised on Election Day by not being allowed to vote.
The cutoff to register for most 2025 primary elections is May 5, 2025. To register to vote in your region or to update your voting registration, go to Vote.gov and follow their instructions. You will then be directed to the proper voter registration portals to register to vote in your state and local elections. After that, you can also find information on how to apply to obtain an absentee/mail-in ballot to vote without having to wait until Election Day.
Make a Plan to Vote
Once you’ve gone through the registration process, the next step is to make a plan for how you will cast your ballot.
On your state and local governments’ websites, you’ll find information on local polling places. Find one that’s nearest to you and make a plan for how you’re going to get there during voting hours. If you know other people eligible to vote in your area, consider giving them a ride to your polling place as well or tag along with them.
When filing/updating your voter registration, you may have also opted to vote via mail-in/absentee ballot. This ballot will arrive at your home shortly before Election Day via the postal service.
Once received, carefully follow your ballot’s instructions and reseal your completed ballot in the provided envelopes. After this, place a stamp on your envelope and either take your envelope to your local post office or place it in a USPS collection box in your neighborhood.
Conclusion - The Rest is Up to You
Taking the time to vote is the most essential component for taking action in a democratic society. It allows our voices to be heard and is the first step to manifesting the change we want to see in our communities and in our country.
Keep this article as a handy resource throughout election season and share it with those around you that need to get registered to vote.
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