If you have, by some miracle, managed to avoid all manner of news lately, you might be surprised to know that there’s a U.S. presidential election in less than a month. Even if you are aware of it, you may be reluctant to get involved or just not sure where to start. I wouldn’t dream of suggesting that you vote for one candidate over the other, but I would like to make a few suggestions for getting in on some of that political action.
1. Start with your own paperwork
I’m always surprised to find out how many people aren’t registered to vote. Even if you’ve gotten the necessary paperwork in to your county board of elections, you will probably need to confirm that the paperwork went through if you really want to vote on November 4. On top of that, you’ll want to know where your polling place is and the local hours. The easiest way to find out all of this information is to get on to your county board of elections’ website: what information isn’t prominently displayed on the website is available through the phone number also displayed online.
2. Get involved in the process
I know plenty of people who have volunteered for one campaign or the other, but there is one organization that really needs involvement in order to make sure that elections go off without a hitch: the county board of elections. Specifically, it seems like almost every county still needs election judges for the upcoming vote. Qualifications are simple — in most states, polling places are required to be run by an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. You have to be already registered to vote, but beyond that there are very few requirements. Some states will even pay you.
In the same vein, there are a number of non-partisan groups that observe the election to insure that there is no hanky-panky with any of the ballot boxes. The League of Women Voters is one of the best known groups, although there are quite a few. Many of these groups are particularly looking for volunteers with technical knowledge to visit polling places with electronic voting machines.
3. Look at the local
Despite the fact that there’s minimal turnout for local elections, I firmly believe that pulling the lever for my local school board is more important than voting for president. In the grand scheme of things, it’s easier to find someone willing and able to address your issue at the local level than higher up the political food chain. But to be able to make the local political structure work for you, you have to first vote for local politicians who share your concerns about issues. Most states have local amendments and elections on the ballot this fall: take the time to read up on them and consider getting involved at the local level.
4. Support your candidate with more than a vote
Most campaigns — whether for candidates or causes — are run on a shoe string budget. The fundraising done by the two major party candidates is certainly not the norm. And while I’m confidant that those candidates wouldn’t mind either my cash or my time, I’ve thought long and hard about where my contributions will wind up. Sure I’m supporting one candidate for president in particular, but I’m also devoting a little time and money to some candidates in the state government out my way.
5. Consider running yourself
The filing deadline for the 2008 election has passed in most areas, but I think that running for even a small, local position comes with some rewards. I have my eye on a couple of jobs myself and while I’m not ready to run this year, I’m seriously considering it as a future opportunity. After all, it’s easier to get things done if you’re already a part of the system.
To become part of the system, you don’t necessarily need to take office, though. You can also become active in the local leadership of your political party. For some of us who are a little less inclined to the spotlight, such an approach might be preferable: you can still be involved in setting policy, but you’re less likely to find a camera crew at your front door.
6. Provide others with the chance to get involved
Something as simple as rounding a couple of friends and taking them to the polling place with you can have a phenomenal affect on the election. There’s a reason that both major political parties consider their ‘get out the vote’ efforts absolutely critical. If you really believe a particular cause, though, go beyond getting involved yourself and help others with similar concerns get involved. That can translate into getting signatures on a petition, recruiting people to help you with a cause and more. No matter what, though, remember that we’re living in a democracy. You can’t get much of anything done politically here if you don’t have the support of at least a few people.
7. Start now
Sure, the next election is less than a month away. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to get involved now. These are the days when campaign volunteers get a little scarce, as those who have been with the campaign for months at this point get tired. There are also more than a few campaigns that need only a few thousand votes to tip them into victory. Now is the time to get involved. Don’t wait for next year, or worse, the next presidential election.
Thursday Bram is a freelance journalist of over five years experience. She studied Communications at the University of Tulsa and is currently working on her MA in Communication Design. Her work has focused primarily on entrepreneurial topics. More information about Thursday is available at thursdaybram.com. 
译文:
政治：七种参与途径
如果由于某种原因，你最近都没有接触到各类的新闻，那么当你得知还有不到一个月就要举行美国总统大选这个消息时可能会很惊讶。即使你知道这条新闻，也可能不怎么愿意参与其中或者对从哪里着手而感到无所适从。我并不想建议你去为其中一个候选人投票，但是我想就如何参与一些此类的政治活动给出一些建议。
1. 从你的证件开始
我一直很惊讶为什么有那么多人不去登记投票。即使你已经有了去你所在州的选举事务所投票所必须证件，但如果你确实想在11月4日投票，那么你可能需要确认一下你的证件是否通过审查。除此之外，你还想知道你应在何时何地进行投票。获取这些信息的最简单的方法就是登陆你所在州的选举事务所的网站，而有些信息在网站上可能不易找到，那么你可以通过拨打在线显示的电话号码去获取这些信息。
2. 在过程中参与
我知道很多都已自愿参加了一些活动，但是为了确保竞选能够顺利进行下去，有一个组织的确需要大家的参与，那就是州选举事务所。确切一点说，目前看来每个州依然需要选民们的未决票。在大多数州，相同数量的民主党员和共和党员共同负责管理投票地，他们对于选民的资格要求很低，除了你必须事先进行投票注册之外，也就没什么其他的要求了。一些州甚至会给你报酬。
基于同一种目的，有许多无党派团体会密切关注竞选，从而来确保投票箱里没有猫腻。妇女选民联盟就是这其中最有名的团体之一，尽管这个团体人很少。还有很多团体特别去找一些有技术知识背景的志愿者带着电子投票机去投票点视察。
3. 着眼于当地
尽管地方选举往往只有最低的参与度，但我坚信为我们当地的学校董事会摇旗呐喊远比为总统投票重要。在一些重大计划中，相比那些上升到政治食物链的内容而言，你会发现找到某个愿意并且能够处理你所在地的问题的人反而更加容易。但是想要让地方的政治机构为你服务，你首先需要给和你有相同政见观点的地方政客投票。在今年的秋天的竞选中，大多数州都有地方性的修改和竞选。花点时间去熟读这些内容，并且考虑一下参与到地方的政治活动中去。
4. 投票之外，多做一些事来支持你心目中的候选人
无论是候选人还是其他原因，大多的竞选活动都是在预算紧张的情况下进行的。当然两大党派候选人的筹款都不是定额。当我认为那些候选人不会留意我献出的金钱和时间时，我也曾认真思索过我的贡献会在哪里产生效应。当然我会特别支持一个总统候选人，但是我还是会为一些州政府的候选人献出一些时间与金钱。
5. 考虑自己竞选一个职位
在大多地区，2008年竞选的归档截止日期已经过去了，但我相信即使竞选一个地方性的小职务还是会有不小的收获的。我已经为自己留意了几个职位，只是今年我还没有做好竞选的准备，我还是很慎重地把这看做未来的一个机遇。毕竟，如果你成为政治体制中的一员，那么许多事情做起来就更轻而易举了。
为了成为体制中一员，你并不一定要就职上任，在你政党的地方领导中，你还是可以表现积极一些。这个方法可能更好一些，因为我们当中有一些人并不喜欢成为焦点。你还是能参与到政策方针的制定中去，但这样你就很少受到新闻媒体的关注了。
6. 给他人提供参与机会
只要你聚集几个朋友并带他们去投票点，就这样简单的举动就会对你的竞选产生非同小可的作用。这就是两大政党都认为他们的“公开选票”的努力非常重要的原因所在。如果你确实崇尚一项事业，那么不要仅仅是你一个人参与，还要同样卖力地帮助他人参与进来。这就如同找到许多人在请愿书上签名一样，招募人们来帮助你的事业甚至更多。不管怎样，记住我们生活在一个民主的国家。在这里，如果你无法得到至少几个人的支持，那么在政治上你将寸步难行。
7. 现在就行动
不到一个月，新一轮的竞选就要开始了。这并不意味着你现在还不该参与进去。由于之前那些已为这个竞选活动忙活几个月的人们此时开始感到疲倦了，所以这些天里竞选活动的志愿者可能会比较少。但还是要通过许多的运动来拉到那几万张选票，从而奠定最后的胜利。所以现在就是参加选举活动的时候了。千万不要等到明年，甚至是等到下一届的总统选举。