When North Dakotans cast their primary ballots, it is not just for state and federal contests. Local offices are up for grabs, and civic groups say the positions directly impact people's lives.

The June 14 primary will pick nominees for legislative seats, as well as the U.S. Senate, and locally, voters will decide the outright winners for municipal seats. There are a record number of candidates for Fargo mayor and city commission.

Whitney Oxendahl, Vote 411 coordinator for the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said it is not surprising to see a lot of people motivated to run.

"There's been a lot of things that have happened in the past few years, with the pandemic, with diversity, equity, and inclusion," Oxendahl observed. "And so, you have a lot of people coming out to stand on different platforms."

She noted local candidates are often more accessible to engaged voters.

Fargo is again using approval voting, which allows people to choose as many candidates as they want. Meanwhile, June 13 is the deadline for submitting absentee ballots in North Dakota.

Janelle Moos, advocacy director for AARP North Dakota, said local elections are a way for older residents to feel like their voice is heard on key decisions before their community. She emphasized it is especially important in cities with an aging population.

"How can candidates make their streets and their neighborhoods more safe, including bike-friendly, walk friendly?" Moos asked. "How can they encourage and find ways to keep residents in their communities, and in their homes longer?"

Elections often turn on economics and demographics. New AARP research found half of women voters age 50 and older said the economy is not working well for them.

Erika White, auditor for Burleigh County, said in addition to studying local candidates, voters should find out if their legislative district changed based on new census data.

"Ten years is a long time and that's how long people reside in a certain legislative district," White pointed out. "Seeing which district you reside in and see if you're voting on any legislative candidate is always a great thing to look into."

The League of Women Voters and AARP have voter guides posted on their websites.

Community groups are coming together to expand voting rights to all Connecticut residents.

The Connecticut Right to Vote Campaign says it aims to ensure all lawful permanent residents would be able to vote, as well as encourage them to turn out for local, state and federal elections.

The campaign's centerpiece is HJ 26, a bill that would allow lawful permanent residents to vote.

Helen Quinonez, a community organizer with Make the Road Connecticut, said the campaign and bill have widespread support.

"We don't have only the support from the community who are not able to vote now; we have the support from the community who actually can vote," she said. "But we need to increase the vote participation in Connecticut, because a lot of people don't go to vote in local, municipal elections."

Despite support for the campaign and the bill, Quinonez acknowledged it may take five years to accomplish their goals, given the current political climate. As President Donald Trump continues to support mass deportations, groups working for immigrants' rights want Connecticut lawmakers to bolster state immigration laws to better protect residents.

A crux of the campaign will center on using voting rights in local and municipal elections. State data show declines in voter turnout across local and federal elections.

Ariana Fernandez, a community organizer with United Parents and Students, said educating people about voting will be a big part of their efforts - helping them understand the importance in their own lives of being able to vote.

"The biggest way to have a voice in their child's education is through a vote and deciding who represents whatever education matters that affect their children," she said. "So, as an example, the Board of Education - and we know during these local elections, there's a lot of parents who are left out of that voting process."

She pointed out if people who live and work in the state can't vote, it's a form of taxation without representation. It's estimated that immigrants in Connecticut contribute more than $406 million a year in taxes to the state's economy.

Michigan's congressional delegation has "aced" the National Environmental Scorecard, earning a perfect 100% in 2024.

The League of Conservation Voters uses the scorecard to track lawmakers' votes on a range of bills relating to the environment and democracy - from climate change and wildlife conservation to environmental justice.

Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, both D-Mich., scored 100%, with lifetime scores of 91% and 94%, respectively.

Nick Dodge, communications manager for Michigan's League of Conservation Voters, explained why the state consistently stands out on the scorecard.

"Water is pretty much everywhere around here, and people have a true connection to it," he said. "The people that we send to Congress get that and understand that. Anyone that goes to Congress and votes against our water, they can expect to hear that from their constituents."

The national average scores show a stark contrast between parties, with Democrats generally scoring higher than Republicans. The League said it aims to use the scorecard to hold elected officials accountable and inform voters ahead of elections.

The majority of Republican politicians view environmental policies as examples of government overreach, while most Democrats view them as a pressing need for climate action. Dodge expressed concern over the obvious divide.

"We see environmental issues as nonpartisan," he said. "You're talking about clean air to breathe, safe water to drink. To us, those shouldn't be - and are not - partisan issues."

Of Michigan's neighbors, Ohio's delegation scored 25%, Wisconsin's scored 50% and the Indiana delegation got a zero.

The National Environmental Scorecard is updated each year to reflect the most recent congressional votes.

An Alabama group is urging lawmakers to simplify the voter restoration process for people who have lost their right to vote. In Alabama, more than 8% of adults, or one in 13 people, are disenfranchised, according to The Sentencing Project.

JaiGregory Clarke, Birmingham organizer with Faith in Action Alabama, warns that the number is likely to increase due to House Bill 100, which expands the list of crimes that can strip voting rights. He said the law bars thousands from the ballot, including people who were previously eligible to vote. His organization is pushing for reforms to ensure that once individuals have served their time, they can fully participate in democracy.

"If someone re-enters the community, if they've served their time and they've paid their debt to society and they're active, meaning they are employed and are paying taxes, then they should absolutely have voting rights or say in the policies that govern our community," Clarke said.

Clarke explained that regaining the right to vote in Alabama is a complicated and costly process. People must complete their sentence, pay all fines, fees and restitution - which can total thousands of dollars - and then apply for a Certificate of Eligibility to Register to Vote, or CERV.

To change that, Clarke said voting-rights advocates are backing Senate Bill 7. If passed, the bill would introduce several major changes to Alabama's voting system. It would allow same-day voter registration, eliminate the need for an excuse to vote absentee, and create a statewide voter database. Clarke believes the bill would make the voting process fairer and more accessible, and added that it would not only streamline the process of restoring voting rights but also expand access to voting across the state.

"What it proposes is a complete overhaul of the way people get their voting rights back in Alabama," Clarke said.

The bill would also establish an Alabama Voting Rights Commission to oversee election changes and require preclearance for certain decisions at the state and local levels - ensuring new policies don't unfairly impact eligible voters. Sponsored by Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, the legislation is currently awaiting committee action.