How to Get Involved

“All politics is local” – Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

If something good has come from the most recent national election, it is the resulting surge in interest in democracy, activism and participation in politics at all levels of government. At the local level in Lansdowne, the Lansdowne Democratic Committee (LDC) welcomes people to become active in our organization to bring their ideas, opinions, energy and passion to the issues that concern them.

The Lansdowne Democratic Committee is comprised of elected representatives (committee people) from each of the 11 voting precincts in the Borough. Two elected and additional committee people serve as liaisons between their neighbors and the folks who serve in local government. In addition to the committee people and officers (chair, vice-chairs, treasurer and secretary), local elected officials attend monthly meetings to discuss local issues, current events and borough council and school district priorities and activities. Committee people bring information from their neighbors to the committee and in turn, bring information back from elected officials to their neighbors.

Opportunities for Local Involvement

In addition to serving as a committee person, there are many opportunities for involvement and service in local politics which include:

  1. Serving as a poll watcher on election day. Spend an hour or an entire day at your local polling place to speak with voters about what concerns them, to inform them of who is running for which office and to give information about any ballot questions. Primary elections are held in May, general elections in November.
  2. Serve on your local election board. This elected (or sometimes appointed) non-partisan position allows you to be part of the process of protecting the right to vote on election day. Serve inside the polling place to check-in voters and insure that access to voting is done in a professional, non-partisan manner.
  3. Help deliver the Lansdowne Leader, the local publication of the Lansdowne Democrats, published two to three times a year.
  4. Attend Committee Meetings – Second Thursday of the month, 7 pm at Borough Hall – to learn more about local issues and to air concerns, share ideas.
  5. Serve on a local board or commission. These volunteer service positions on a variety of boards or commissions include the library, parks and recreation and zoning boards and the civil service and planning commissions. Citizen-service means citizen input.
  6. Make a financial contribution to the Democratic Committee to support the Lansdowne Leader, local campaigns and other activities.
  7. Run for public office. Bring your interest to the Committee and learn about opportunities to serve as an elected member of local council, school board, tax collector and constable.
  8. Become involved in county, state and national issues, activism and elections. While “all politics is local” our interest should not stop there.
  9. Join our mailing list and receive updates and alerts to what is happening in local politics.

To learn more, please join us at the monthly meeting of the Lansdowne Democratic Committee. The meetings are on the second Thursday of every month at 7 pm at Borough Hall.