GET INVOLVED

How To Get Involved

Introduction

Navigating the labyrinth of local politics can be a daunting task. The process of gathering all the information on this site involved many hours of research, attending numerous events, attempting to contact many people, and sorting through a myriad of websites. Our objective in providing these streamlined suggestions is simple: to help you become a fully informed voter without going through the same time-consuming, often frustrating process we did. The steps listed below are designed to maximize your productivity and minimize wasted effort.

Suggested Steps

  1. Study the Candidates: The most straightforward way to understand who's running and what they stand for is by checking out our consolidated Candidates page. To our knowledge, this is the most efficient means to learn about local candidates. We've included the elections that are more statewide and national, as they are related to local elections, and why not have as much info on one consolidated website? Also, be sure to pro-actively follow the candidates on social media to stay up to date. And by pro-actively I mean set aside time once every few weeks to check their pages, because simply clicking the follow buttons may lead to posts getting lost in the clutter, or even missing shadow-banned posts. Use the hamburger menu in the top left of the screen to navigate to the candidate pages.


  2. Internalize the Popular Issues: Before you can assess a candidate's suitability, you need to know where you stand on the key issues. Our Issues page offers a comprehensive overview of ongoing and popular issues at the county and state level. This will help you prepare questions for the candidates and understand what matters most to you. Use the hamburger menu in the top left of the screen to navigate to the issue pages.


  3. Facebook Groups: Over the course of the past year, we have learned about several facebook groups where you can read and post about local politics. To note, while this is a somewhat convenient way to stay connected, with so many different social media outlets it can be very easy for relevant information to get buried in the mix or shadow-banned... especially if you don't stay pro-active to check them yourself as opposed to relying on big-tech algorithms and policies.

    Concerned Citizens of Cumberland County NJ

    Cumberland GOP

    Cumberland County NJ Democrats

    Millville N.J. - The good, the bad, and the ugly.

    Inform the Vote NJ


  4. Show Up: Go to events where candidates will be present and ask questions that will help you make an informed voting decision. Use our consolidated calendar as a guide for what events to attend. Be sure to check back regularly as the parties are a bit scattered and disorganized when posting events, so it is tough for us to efficiently and promptly post events.

    Our Calendar.

    In terms of what will most effectively inform your vote, we suggest the following events in order of relevance:


    • Bi-weekly Republican Party Breakfast at Eastlyn Golf Course: This suggestion isn't meant to be partisan; it's based on the frequency and consistency of these events. At these Saturday morning gatherings, you can hear their local messaging, meet Republican candidates and ask them election-related questions. There's currently no comparable event for Democrats, as they haven't posted any events on their website in quite some time. Alternatively, you can scour their facebook group for events. We try to do this from time to time, but events tend to get buried among the messaging posts, with notice to events oftentimes being less than a week or even sometimes less than a day. See our Events page for more info. More info also on CCROGOP Website.

      **Important Note - The location of these breakfasts are always subject to change, be sure to check event info of each individual event date.

    • Vineland School Board Meetings: Subscribe to the Vineland Public Schools Youtube channel to view school board meetings. You can also attend in person at the Landis Administration Building, formerly Landis School, located at 61 W. Landis Ave in Vineland. Check our events page and the school boards posted meetings for dates.
    • Download the Vineland Public Schools App: Stay informed with what's going on.

      Go here
      .

      Scroll down and click on the appropriate apple store or google play link. Also, Vineland School Board meetings are usually on the first Wednesday of the month at the old Landis School on Landis Avenue, starting at 5pm. They are listed on our events calendar, but double check the school board meeting postings as things are always subject to change.

    • County Commissioner Meetings and Press Releases: These meetings are a great way to understand how local government functions and what issues are currently at the forefront. Each meeting has a 'public comments' section, allowing you to actively participate. Prepare your questions and bring a notebook to jot down important points. They are usually held at the administration building at 164 West Broad Street in Bridgeton, at 6pm, but sometimes they move around. We post some of these on our events calendar, but be sure to double check the Cumberland County Government Site as things are always subject to change.

      There was also a County Press Release that directly related to claims made on the campaign trail during the 2024 election. We have also asked for quarterly reports from the county so we can stay informed about what is going on. Hopefully moving forward there will be more consistent use of press releases and quarterly reports so that the electorate gets direct, verified information from the government... as opposed to relying on social media, which sometimes functions like more of a rumor mill.


    • Casual County Events: Events like Deerfield Day give you a chance to interact with candidates, even if the main focus isn't on the upcoming election. However, these events are often poorly advertised by political candidates, which we hope to change.

      Visit the Cumberland County 4H Event Calendar for more info.

    • Miscellaneous County Department Meetings: These meetings can offer a deeper dive into the workings of the county. While they may not directly relate to the upcoming election, they provide context for larger political issues and can be beneficial for those with extra time and curiosity. They can also sometimes highlight some of the key issues going on throughout the county.

      Visit the Cumberland County public meetings calendar for more info.

    • City Event Calendars: Cities like Vineland have many community related events posted. While they may not directly relate to the upcoming election, they provide context for larger political issues and can be beneficial for those with extra time and curiosity.

      Visit the Vineland events calendar for activities that might interest you.

    • Contribute to the Facebook Group: There are lots of potential bits of information and reasonable questions that we might miss. If you are paying attention to election related politics and feel that you can help us by contributing your own ideas regarding relatively objective information, or have reasonable speculative questions about what exactly is going on, please share it with us at our Facebook Group.
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We hope that by following these steps, you can bypass the pitfalls and roadblocks that so often hinder the journey to becoming an informed voter. Your involvement matters, and every informed vote strengthens the fabric of our democracy.