Every election you can vote in, from school board to president — and what to do before each one.
Closest to you first. The offices that decide the most about your street draw the fewest voters.
Local
Runs your local school district — the single closest elected body to most families' daily lives.
Term: Usually three or four years, set by district charter or state law rather than nationally.
On turnout: Commonly 5–20% of eligible voters, and lowest when the race is held on its own date rather than alongside a November general election. Carnegie Corporation, “Visualizing Voter Turnout in Local and School Board Elections”.
Decides what gets built, how much you pay in local taxes, and how your city is policed.
Term: Typically two to four years, set by city charter.
On turnout: In the 30 largest US cities, turnout was under 20% in half of recent mayoral elections and under 15% in ten of them — single digits in a few. Portland State University, “Who Votes for Mayor?”.
Runs the sheriff's office, the courts' front end, property taxes — and the elections themselves.
Term: Usually four years, staggered across offices; set by state law.
On turnout: Depends almost entirely on timing: county races held alongside a November general election draw close to that election's turnout, while standalone dates draw a fraction of it. Carnegie Corporation, “Visualizing Voter Turnout in Local and School Board Elections”.
State
The lower chamber of your state legislature, which writes most of the law that affects daily life.
Term: 2 years. Two years in most states; a handful use four-year terms. Nebraska has no lower chamber.
On turnout: State legislative races share a ballot with federal ones, so turnout tracks the top of the ticket — but many voters skip these contests even after showing up. Pew Research Center, turnout in the 2022 House midterms (final returns).
The upper chamber of your state legislature. Nothing becomes state law without it.
Term: 4 years. Four years in most states, usually staggered so only about half the seats are up each cycle; some states use two-year terms.
On turnout: Shares a ballot with federal races, so turnout tracks the top of the ticket. Pew Research Center, turnout in the 2022 House midterms (final returns).
The most powerful single official most people can vote for — and the one who can stop the legislature.
Term: 4 years. Four years in every state except New Hampshire and Vermont, which elect a governor every two years.
On turnout: Most governors are elected in midterm years, when national turnout has run around 45–48% of eligible voters. Pew Research Center, turnout in the 2022 House midterms (final returns).
Federal
Your single representative in Congress, up for election every two years — the most frequently accountable federal office.
Term: 2 years.
On turnout: About 45% of eligible voters in the 2022 midterms and 48% in 2018, versus 64–67% in recent presidential years. Pew Research Center, turnout in the 2022 House midterms (final returns).
Two per state regardless of population, on six-year terms — the chamber that confirms judges for life.
Term: 6 years. Six years, staggered into three classes, so each state votes for a senator in two out of every three even-numbered years — never both seats at once except in a special election.
On turnout: Shares a ballot with House races, so turnout tracks whether it is a midterm or presidential year. Pew Research Center, turnout in the 2022 House midterms (final returns).
The office nearly everyone votes for — and the only one on this list elected indirectly, through the Electoral College.
Term: 4 years.
On turnout: About 64% of eligible voters in 2024 and 67% in 2020 — the two highest presidential turnouts in over a century. Pew Research Center, voter turnout in the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Bars show the share of eligible voters who typically turn out.