Statewide elections are on November 5th. Are you ready to go to the polls?

When it comes to clean water, local elections matter. State and county-level decisions impact our communities, our land, and our river. If there’s one thing we’re passionate about at Potomac Conservancy, it’s empowering local communities to take action.

If you live in Virginia and are eligible to vote, pledge today to #GetVocalActLocal by voting in Virginia’s statewide elections on November 5th.

Then read on to learn more about why this election is so important!

I'm Voting!

Over the past few years, we’ve seen evidence of the Potomac River’s comeback, like healthy wildlife populations, more recreation opportunities, and decreasing pollution. But we can’t let this progress go to waste.

We need to keep fighting for forest protections, healthy wildlife habitat, and pollution-free waterways. One of the best ways to get involved is to actively participate in voting – it’s a fundamental right and has huge implications for decisions that impact our rivers and communities.

Wait a minute, why does my vote matter?

In Virginia, the House and Senate (together, known as the General Assembly) are responsible for passing laws that apply to the entire state. So, these statewide officials hold more sway over local decisions than in other states, but for some weird reason, these odd-year statewide elections don’t entice voters to the booth like you would think.

Let’s look at some voter turnout numbers in Virginia —

Virginia holds statewide elections (House of Delegates and Senate, along with numerous local offices) in odd years. Every four years, these statewide elections also include the opportunity to elect a Governor. As you can imagine, the governorship is a bright and shiny object that gets a lot of attention.

In the last three election cycles without a governor’s fight at the top of the ticket, voter turnout averaged only 29.3%. But, even with a governor spot on the line, voter turnout in Virginia only averaged 43.6% in the last three cycles. And, the average turnout for the past 6 election cycles is an abysmal 36.48%.