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There are so many ways to get involved...

How To Contact Government Officials

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Contact information for the East Lansing City Council and School Board is found on their websites. There are multiple ways to contact these organizations, including email, calling their phone number, and going to their physical address. 

 

Contacting an organization might seem intimidating, but it’s important to remember that these organizations are meant to work with you and create a better community for everyone. To contact an organization through email, start by formally saying hello by addressing a specific individual. Then introduce yourself, including name and address, and respectfully state the purpose of your email. You can also provide specific details on your position and a call to action for the individual/organization. Finally, express gratitude for their time and leave your own contact information for the person to respond to you.

Ballot Initiatives

Another key way that citizens are able to directly influence government is through ballot initiatives. A ballot initiative is a measure created by a citizen that “proposes statutes or constitutional amendments” and they can pass if enough signatures are collected to place it on the ballot for voters to decide. In the state of Michigan, voters are able to practice this form of direct democracy by creating initiatives for amendments, statutes, and referendums. 
 

The differences between these three are on how they interact or change laws. Understanding these differences and how citizens can directly influence laws can help them find ways they would like to influence legislation within the state. 

 

The number of signatures needed for a proposal to be placed on a ballot depends on the state. In Michigan, a citizen or group must gather “the signatures of registered electors in an amount not less than 8 percent of the total vote cast for all candidates for governor at the last gubernatorial election.” In simpler terms, this means gathering a number of signatures equal to at least 8% of the voter turnout from the last governor’s race—currently around 356,958 signatures for 2026. This can be done through canvassing, outreach on social media, and engaging with legislators. 

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For a local ballot initiative in the City of East Lansing, a petition requires signatures from 5% of qualified voters in the city. That means the threshold in East Lansing is just 824 signatures.


While the task may seem intimidating, many ballot initiatives have passed at both the state and local level in Michigan.

 

In 2023, a ballot initiative was proposed for East Lansing to adopt ranked-choice voting (RCV) for city council elections was approved by a majority vote of 52.48%. Evidently, citizen-initiated measures are able to be created and passed, and it’s a great way to become more politically active if you have a desire to enact change for your community.

How to Attend a Public Meeting

When people think of local government, the city council is one of the first groups to pop into most people's heads. The East Lansing City Council is the governing body that creates legislation and policy for the city government, and the members are elected by the citizens of the area. They hold meetings almost weekly on Tuesday at 7:00 PM at the Hannah Community Center. It should be noted that you should always check the City of East Lansing website for the most current information, as there are often weeks were the group does not meet due to holidays or other outside reasons. Another way of staying informed about the city council is by following your local news or subscribing to a weekly e-letter with your chosen email. The weekly e-letters are sent out by the city and can be customized to even include local events such a the farmers market and recreation and arts news. 

 

Before heading to any meeting, it can be helpful to review the agenda posted before the meeting takes place; this will also be available in person if you decide to go in person. Keep in mind that the agenda can change as you get closer to the meeting, so make sure to check the agenda before going to the meeting.

 

As a member of the public, there aren’t any big expectations placed on you besides just remaining quiet well the members of the council speak. If you do wish to speak, most of the time, there is a designated time that the floor is opened up for public comment.

 

For many, public speaking can be quite a daunting task, but with the help of preparation and knowledge, it doesn’t have to be. As a member of the public, you have an opportunity to speak at any of the regular meetings, most will have a time reserved for the public at the beginning or end of the meeting. This information can be found in the agenda that is posted online before the meeting takes place, and can be found in the room where the meeting takes place. Knowing this information can also help you to prepare what you want to say to the council. Speaking at these meetings gives the members of the meeting community feedback so that they are better able to meet the needs of their local community. This also helps to build a relationship between the public and the local government.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to engage in the local community. From the East Lansing website, there is a page that shows all the volunteering opportunities that are available to most teens. 

 

Some opportunities for volunteering hours in East Lansing include: 

  • Art Festival – A two-day art and culture celebration paired with live music, children’s activities, and food. 

  • City’s Clerk’s Office – The public official record keeper for East Lansings’ official documents, responsible for conducting all the local, federal and state elections that are in East Lansing. 

  • Department of Public Works – This organization works to promote waste reduction, reuse and recycle, and also educate the people of East Lansing about proper disposal options through multiple environmental services and events. 

  • Downtown Placemaking – A group of individuals to reinvent public spaces in East Lansing. This is made to create a stronger bond between people and their community and community members. 

    • Albert El Fresco is an event held under Downtown Placemaking, it's a pedestrian friendly area in the city Downtown during the Summer. Located on Albert Ave, between Grove Street and M.A.C. Ave.

    • East Lansing Public Library – East Lansing High School students have volunteer hours by taking their time in the city's Teen Action Group. 

    • More information East Lansing Public Library

    • Environmental Stewardship  Program – Focuses on restoring the health of parks that house multiple populations of different species, communities by removing invasive plant species and replacing them with more nature safe plants. 

    • More information East Lansing Environmental Stewardship Program

    • Parks and Recreation and Arts – Provides quality recreation facilities, programming, and leisure activities through active community participation. 

    • More information Department of Parks, Recreation & Arts

 

All these programs offer flexible and different schedules based on what the volunteer wishes to participate in, all volunteers can use the Online Volunteer Registration form and select opportunities that interest them to volunteer.

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