USG.5.6

=Identify specific ways for individuals to serve their communities and participate responsibly in civil society and the political process at local, state, and national levels of government.=


 * **See United States History II.5 for** ** information on labor unions and radical political parties in American history **


 * ** See Grade 5.27 for protections for and examples o ef citizen participation in government and political change **


 * For more, see Participating in Government from the online textbook American Government from US History.org **


 * Local elections**


 * The day-to-day issues that affect Americans the most are often on these ballots.
 * Elections occur at all levels including school boards, wards, boroughs, counties, towns, cities, and states.
 * Some local and state taxes are placed on these ballots.

How to register to vote in Massachusetts


 * State government**


 * Federal government**


 * Top reasons why many Americans choose not to vote:**
 * 1) **Difficulty of registration-** Most states require registration 10-30 days before vote.
 * 2) **Difficulty of a****bsentee voting-** Makes it very hard for people to vote if they are busy or out of town during election day.
 * 3) **The number of offices to elect.**
 * 4) **Weekday voting-** Many registered voters are unable to vote if they are working.
 * 5) **Political disconnec**t- Many political parties are not strong at the local or "grass roots" level. This leads to unpopular candidacies.