With politics constantly being thrown at us, it is extremely important to be politically aware. While it is important to be knowledgeable of national headlines, paying attention to your local government is equally if not more important as they directly affect you in many ways.

Being involved with local politics can be a daunting thought, but there are several simple ways you can embrace your political side.

Know Who Your Representatives Are

An easy way for you to be involved is to know who is leading your city, town or state. This information can be found simply by doing a quick google search. While this may seem like an obvious concept, to know who your representatives are can be extremely important when there are issues that you feel need to have attention drawn to. This was the conclusion of the New York Times in a piece in last year. You may feel like your voice isn’t always being heard, but that’s far from the truth. “Representatives in Congress may not be able to respond to individual phone calls, but your odds may be higher if you contact officials at the local or state levels," Daniel Victor of the New York Times writes.

This is one of the fastest ways to have your voice heard. While attending these meetings may not be the most exhilarating of experiences, it’s the one way you have an immediate affect on things in your area. These meetings are free and all of the information is public. Another reason to attend is that it’s an automatic way to reach your city officials. Council members, as well as officials from organizations around your city often attend these meetings, and are there to hear about residents’ concerns when they address the board. To find out where your meetings are taking place, look at your city or towns website and look for the city council tab.

Register to Be Involved with a Political Party

While this is more of a national government idea, being connected with your local Republican or Democratic departments allows for you to be connected with people that have the same views as you. It will also allow enable you to find local events that may be of interest. If you’re not sure of what party you want to belong to, or aren’t for the bipartisan choices, Here's a full list of established political parties, along with their missions and contact information.

VOTE

This is the most important thing to consider when getting involved with politics, either locally or nationally. Without going out and voting for the issues you believe in, your voice will not be heard. Voting rules are different from state to state, so it’s best to contact your local election office to find out what you need to register. Information of who to contact and how to register can be located at the sites listed below.

https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

https://vote.gov/

Being involved with politics can be an intimidating task, but if you take the right steps it can be an easy and rewarding process.