The Fix Is Local — But We Don’t Have To Work Alone
Staying engaged when federal solutions feel out of reach
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve probably heard me say this so many times that I sound like a broken record:
Education is key, and the fix is local.
At this point, my children could probably finish the sentence for me.
But the reason I keep repeating it is because over the last six years, I’ve only become more convinced that it’s true.
Lately though, I’ve been getting a different kind of question from people in the election integrity movement:
“Okay… now what?”
What do we do when major federal reform efforts stall out?
What do we do when court battles drag on for years?
What do we do when executive orders face constitutional limitations?
What do we do when people are exhausted, discouraged, or simply losing hope that anything will ever change?
Those are fair questions.
Many people were hopeful the SAVE Act would move quickly through Congress. Others were encouraged by President Trump’s executive order addressing issues like mail-in voting and voter verification.
But regardless of where people stand politically, there’s an important reality we have to understand:
Presidents don’t write laws.
Congress does.
Executive orders can direct how existing laws are enforced, but they are not meant to replace the legislative process itself. That means many of these larger national battles will likely continue playing out through Congress and the courts for quite some time.
Honestly, this is something Catherine Engelbrecht from True The Vote told me months ago when I asked her where she believed things were heading. She understood early on that waiting for one giant federal solution was probably unrealistic.
And while I absolutely understand why many people focus on Washington, D.C., I think one of the biggest mistakes grassroots movements can make is believing that national politics is the only place meaningful change happens.
Because while everyone is staring at Congress, local government continues operating every single day.
County election offices continue functioning.
State legislatures continue meeting.
Local parties continue organizing.
Poll workers are still needed.
Judges of Elections are still elected.
County commissioners still make decisions.
Citizens can still attend meetings, ask questions, review processes, and become educated about how their own communities function.
That work still matters.
In fact, I would argue it matters more than ever.
But there’s another reality grassroots movements have to confront:
It is very difficult to stay engaged long term if you feel like you’re doing it alone.
Burnout is real.
I’ve watched so many good people become discouraged over the years because they thought change would happen quickly. And when it didn’t, many started to feel isolated or hopeless.
But lasting change rarely happens overnight.
It happens through consistent local involvement over time.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve come to appreciate the importance of community so much over the years.
Not outrage communities.
Not constant fear-based content.
Not endless doom scrolling.
Real community.
Places where people can learn, ask questions, compare notes, share ideas, and stay engaged without completely burning themselves out emotionally.
That’s part of why Audit The Vote PA has chosen to collaborate with the True The Vote NOW Community.
What I appreciate about the TTV NOW Community is that it gives people a place to stay connected, educated, and engaged with others who care about civic involvement and election transparency at both the local and national level.
One section I recently explored was the Courses area, which includes interactive quizzes and “test your knowledge” tools focused on elections, civic structure, and government processes.
Questions like:
Who actually has authority over elections — the states or the federal government?
What does a county election office do?
How familiar are you with your own state’s election laws and procedures?
I thought that was interesting because it encourages people to move beyond headlines and opinions and actually test their understanding of how these systems work.
You can explore that section here:
TTV NOW Community Quiz Section
For Audit The Vote PA, this collaboration allows us to continue focusing locally here in Pennsylvania while also helping connect people to broader conversations, resources, and networks of engaged citizens across the country.
Because no national organization is going to save your county for you.
That responsibility still belongs to local citizens willing to show up, learn, volunteer, communicate, build relationships, and stay involved consistently over time.
That’s not always flashy work.
It’s often slow.
Sometimes frustrating.
Sometimes exhausting.
But it matters.
And maybe now more than ever, we need communities that help people stay grounded, informed, and encouraged for the long haul.
The fix is local.
But we don’t have to work alone.