Commentary: A call to local democracy

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 5, 2025

As a freshman in college, I somehow won a seat in our student assembly — by one vote — against a man named Love.

I’m convinced it was due to being part of a coalition, yet each person who voted for me determined the outcome. That experience taught me that in smaller communities and organizations, whether a university or an island like ours, individual participation doesn’t just count; it can be the deciding factor.

It’s extremely rare for ordinary voters to determine the outcome of a major election. In national races, margins of fewer than 100,000 votes are often considered “close,” and at the state level, gaps of just a few thousand can trigger recounts or legal challenges. There are a few examples — for instance, a 2002 Washington State House GOP primary was won by one vote out of over 11,000 cast — but such cases make the news precisely because they’re so uncommon.

In local groups, it’s a different matter. Here on Vashon-Maury Island, the impact of each community member’s participation is not the exception, but the rule.

I’ll share a recent example. Since April, as the new president of our Vashon-Maury Community Council (V-MCC), a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) civic nonprofit, I’ve been working with our board to get Community Council meetings up and running again after a long hiatus that began after November 2024.

It’s been more challenging to get to this point than you might imagine, but I’m happy to report that as of July 17, 2025, our regular monthly Council meetings are happening again. Meetings are held every third Thursday, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; see www.v-mcc.org/events.

Our ability to conduct formal business at this first meeting, however, depended on the participation of each and every council member attending. It’s because of them that the Council is functioning as it should once more.

Here are the specifics: According to the V-MCC bylaws, a quorum of at least 25 council members is required to conduct formal business. On the night of July 17, dramatically, we finally arrived at that magic number and were able to proceed with important organizational business, including confirming officers and voting on an outstanding motion. Though I was prepared to adapt and shift into informal discussion, I was tremendously relieved that it wasn’t necessary.

To stress the point: every Community Council member who attended that night determined whether our local democratic forum would proceed with addressing our island’s concerns — building resilience together for our shared future — or be delayed in our efforts.

At the local level, this kind of situation is not unusual. Vashon-Maury Island has many boards, committees, work groups, and nonprofit organizations; these groups typically welcome and need volunteer support. In such settings, a single person can quite literally shape history.

In these times of a general sense of disempowerment, anxiety, and isolation, getting involved in local organizations offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with others, to learn about the place you live, and to make a meaningful difference for ourselves, our families, neighbors, and future generations. I encourage you to reach out to organizations working on the issues that matter most to you. Your willingness to become involved and your passion will fuel a better future together.

In small communities, democracy is a team effort. If you care about local issues such as housing, environment, infrastructure, arts, transportation and social services, join us to preserve and prepare our thriving community for the future.

I invite you to help build our new Community Council. For more information, visit v-mcc.org.

J.C. Graham is president of the Vashon-Maury Community Council. He can be contacted directly at President.V-MCC@proton.me.