As the 2024 election season ramps up, voters are getting ready to cast their ballots. They’re researching candidate platforms, attending events, asking tough questions of candidates, and talking with family, neighbors, and friends about the election.
While the presidential election is driving much of the election-year conversation, every office on the ballot, from mayors to the president of the United States, will have the opportunity to influence the Great Lakes and water issues once in office.
We need laws and policies that protect and restore the Great Lakes. We must keep pushing for stronger, better safeguards for the world’s largest source of surface freshwater. And we must ensure that everyone in the Great Lakes region has access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water, and is safe from community flooding, basement backups, and sewage overflows.
Download our nonpartisan 2024 Voter Toolkit and learn how to make a difference this election season.
Make the Great Lakes and clean water part of the election-year conversation
Right now, you have an opportunity to encourage candidates to stand up for the Great Lakes and hold them accountable once elected.
Your voice makes a difference – whether you’re asking questions at a candidate forum, chiming in on social media, speaking directly with a candidate, or highlighting water issues in a letter to the editor. People running for elected office pay attention to issues that bubble to the top in all these venues.
The toolkit will help you:
![](https://greatlakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/water_issues_graphic-150x150.jpg)
- Brainstorm questions to ask candidates about water issues that are important to you and your community
- Ask a question at a candidate forum
- Write a letter to the editor
- Talk with candidates in person, over the phone, or on social media
- Speak out on social media for the lakes and clean water
Vote and encourage others to vote
Voting is the most important way for you to have a voice in how elected officials protect our water.
The toolkit will help you:
![](https://greatlakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/voting_graphic-150x150.png)
- Check your voter registration status and make your plan to vote
- Learn how to find information about the candidates on your ballot and where they stand on water issues
- Encourage others to vote
You can also use our Great Lakes Voter Information Center to check your voter registration status, learn which candidates are on your ballot, find your polling place, and get information about early voting, absentee ballots, and more.
Make a difference for the Great Lakes this election season
Elections have a big impact on our Great Lakes and the communities that rely on them. Show candidates that you care about the lakes and clean water. Vote, and encourage others to vote.
Download the whole 2024 Voter Toolkit or get just the sections that would be most helpful.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes and the Election Season: Our Role
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Alliance for the Great Lakes cannot support or oppose candidates or political parties. However, we can, and do, educate candidates and voters on Great Lakes issues.