How to Participate
Showing up and speaking matters. Local officials respond to constituents they hear from directly, especially in person at public meetings. A small number of people showing up consistently will be far more effective than one time where everybody makes a public comment.
Steps to get involved
- Pick a demand. Review the seven demands on the Demands page and choose one or more to focus on.
- Bring it up at public comment. Find your municipal government's meeting schedule and a tip for what to say on the Find Your Government page.
- Document it and tell us. We can only update the tracker with verifiable information. If you attended a meeting, link to the official recording or note the exact date and time so we can find it ourselves. Written responses from officials, agenda items with vote records, or news coverage also work. Submit whatever you have and we will follow up if we need more.
- Do it again. And again. A one time public comment, even from hundreds of people at once, can be disregarded. A small group of people consistently showing up is much harder to ignore.
- Want to do more? Check out the Get Involved page for other ways to help.
How public comment works
Most city councils and county boards set aside time at every meeting for public comment, where any resident can speak for a limited time (usually 2–3 minutes). You can typically sign up before the meeting starts, either on a paper sign-up sheet or online, but it is not usually required. Some bodies also accept written comment submitted in advance by email. Specific details for each jurisdiction can be found on the Find Your Government page.
Tips for effective testimony
- Write out what you want to say and practice it once out loud before you go.
- State your name and that you are a resident or constituent.
- Name the specific demand and ask the body to act on it directly.
- Keep it under the time limit.
- Bring two or three neighbors if you can. Numbers are noticed.
- Follow up with a short written version emailed to the body afterward.
Find a meeting
Meeting schedules and links to official agendas for each jurisdiction we track are on the Find Your Government page.