Civic Engagement
Average voting citizens can hold elected officials accountable by actively monitoring actions, communicating expectations, and imposing consequences.
Steps an average citizen can take right now to hold their elected officials accountable.
First – Vote, Vote, Vote in every election, presidential year, mid-terms, school budget, county and city council elections, etc. That’s the easiest step, now here comes work you must do:
• Vote. Cast informed ballots
• Track votes. Use nonpartisan tools like Vote Smart or GovTrack to monitor a representative's legislative record.
• Contact officials. Call, email, or write to express support or opposition to specific policies. -Use the 5 calls app that was introduced at last month's general membership meeting to contact officials
• Attend meetings. Participate in local town halls, school board meetings, and city council sessions, Albany County legislative meetings to ask direct questions.
• Join advocacy groups. Such as the Albany NAACP or other existing grassroots organizations, to band together to amplify your voice on specific issues.
• File public records requests. Use the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or state-level open records laws to view government documents.
• Submit public comments. Provide formal feedback on proposed rules and regulations during official public comment periods.
In summary
When we elect representatives, we expect them to be held accountable to two things: the people they represent, and the laws
they are subject to.
Our elected officials are in office to represent us, they work for us and we should use our power to vote them out if they no longer act in the best interests of our community.
Stay informed, stay involved and stay vigilant, because “we who believe in freedom, cannot rest”.
DID YOU KNOW MONTHLY
Fiscal Accountability
Fiscal Accountability: Officials must manage public funds honestly. They must prevent waste, fraud, and illegal use of
taxpayer money.
Political Accountability
Political Accountability: Officials must answer the voters. Citizens judge their performance and can vote them out of office during periodic elections.
JULY
5 Calls App
App that allows you to contact your makes it easy for you to reach your members of Congress and make your voice heard.
We research issues, write clearly articulated scripts, figure out the most influential decision-makers, and collect phone numbers for their offices
Legal Accountability
Legal Accountability: Leaders must obey the constitution and laws or face legal penalties or removal if they break rules or abuse power.
JUNE
Vote.Org is a national non-partisan political website that assist folks from any state within the United States to check their registration satsus, polling locations and any other information pertaining to voting and general elections.
Fiscal Accountability
Fiscal Accountability: Officials must manage public funds honestly. They must prevent waste, fraud, and illegal use of
taxpayer money.
MAY
Check below for more information about the seats that we typically vote on in the primaries and general election. Stay invformed.!
Did you know...
Our Civic Engagement Chair, Ms. Beverly Ivey provides us monthly with questions to challenge our knowledge and educate us on facts around voting and governance.
Q: What are the three branches of government?
A: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
Review the graphic to the right to learn about the different positions in the city/count of Albany.
NAACP Albany Branch
Founders' Day
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Sunday, February 22, 2026
P3: People's Perception Project
Short recap of the day
Members of the NAACP Albany Branch attended the 5th annual senior social studies capstone project assembly.
The People's Perception Project (P3) is a civic education organization serving schools across New York State.
On Thursday, November 19th, seniors at Albany High School attended an assembly event to learn about their civic engagement project led by The People's Perception Project.
The Albany NAACP, Freedom Unshackled, The Red Bookshelf, and Albany Fund for Education supported the seniors during this kickoff event.
Stay tuned throughout the year as we share the progress that the students achieve.
To learn more about the People's Perception Project (P3) - check out their website
Position on the ballot
November 4, 2025 marks election day for all Americans. This year, residents in the City of Albany are voting for a number of positions, including the Mayor. Below are a list of the position open that residents will vote on depending where you live in Albany County or the City of Albany. Be prepared to make an informed decision.
