You voted. Now what? Here are some more ways to flex your civic muscles

State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) reads a newspaper during a break in the Senate session in Sacramento in 2018.

By Ryan FonsecaStaff Writer

Nov. 20, 2024 6:30 AM PT

Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

How to stay engaged after the election.
If Democrats want to win back the American people, does California need to stand down?
Who needs L.A.? These 30-somethings are creating a hip, communal oasis in Palm Springs.
And here’s today’s e-newspaper.

Voting doesn’t have to be the end of your civic engagement

If you voted in the 2024 election, congratulations! You took part in the democratic process!

Now what?

Democracy happens every day in our communities. Voting doesn’t have to be the beginning and end of your civic action.

Think of civic engagement like a gym membership. There’s a lot of motivation to go in January (or election day), but the further into the year we go, the harder it is to make the trek.

A woman hands a man an "I Voted" sticker.

Exercising your civic muscles can present a similar challenge, as some newsletter readers expressed in our citizens agenda survey.

“I find that the chief barrier getting in the way of my fellow citizens’ ability to make their voices heard is acclimatization, relative comfort and lack of interest,” Los Angeles resident Don Starnes shared.

Betty Villarreal of Pasadena noted that “many in communities are burdened with surviving, [which] gets in the way of having the capacity to engage in the democratic process. Offering additional opportunities — virtual, in-person, family-friendly — for engaging can aid with increasing involvement.”

Kyle Clausen of San Rafael offered this reflection: “I need to do a better job of engaging with my local elected officials and I need to get more involved than just voting. That said, I’m not sure what I can do beyond voting that will have the greatest impact.”

The key, as with exercising, is finding a sustainable routine.

Michelle Deutchman, the executive director of the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, is concerned about us all taking our democracy for granted.

“There is all kinds of hateful rhetoric that’s coming from people that are in positions of power and I think that can be very demoralizing and can wear people down,” she told me. “In those moments, we have to dig a little deeper and remind ourselves that without individual and collective action, we cannot change things.”

Here are three good starting points she shared.

Subscribe to a local news publication

(Deutchman promised she was “not just saying that because I’m talking to you.”)

Investing in a trusted news source is the best way to learn what’s happening in your community, she said, and will help sharpen media literacy.

Those skills have suffered in a time when social feeds are full of partisan-fueled misinformation, AI-generated garbage and a growing share of news influencers who may not follow the same ethical rules as trained journalists.

“Committing to thinking about where you’re getting your information is an act of civic engagement,” Deutchman added.

Sage advice, but all the more challenging right now with local journalism in a crisis in California and across the country. One-third of newspapers in the Golden State have shuttered since 2005, according to a 2023 report from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Volunteer for a cause that matters to you

Community-based volunteering and mentoring “is also a really important way of being physically engaged,” Deutchman said.

Find an issue you care about — it doesn’t have to be expressly political, she noted — and make an effort to learn more about it. That can lead you to local organizations that may need volunteers.

Deutchman recommends keeping it simple to start and trying to make it a group effort with friends.

And virtual volunteering has made giving back easier than ever. “There’s ways that people can be engaged even without getting out of their pajamas,” Deutchman said.

Make an effort to witness local democracy at work

Attend a city council meeting where you live, Deutchman suggests. You could also try to make it to meetings of school boards and other governing bodies whose decisions affect your life.

People attending a city council meeting cheer

Many cities and agencies that hold meetings at difficult times now offer live-streams or virtual meetings, plus online comment cards (such as this one from L.A.).

Deutchman encourages people to willingly “be in situations where you can engage with people who have different life experiences or different views from you.”

Wondering how to get started in L.A. County? Thankfully, The Times has a tool for that!

Check out Shape Your L.A., designed to help you and fellow county residents understand how local government functions in your city and learn ways to get involved in your community.

Are your civic engagement muscles well-sculpted? Or are you looking to get more involved in your community? Tell us about it at [email protected] and we might include more tips and inspiration in a future edition of the newsletter.

Today’s top stories

Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom at a rally on Sept. 8, 2021 in San Leandro, Calif.

If Democrats want to win again, does California need to stand down?

Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election suggests the party — and California leaders — may be too out of touch with the American people, some strategists argue.
This debate is playing out as Gov. Gavin Newsom makes preemptive moves to shield California from the incoming Trump White House.
In other election news, just 314 votes separate candidates in one of the nation’s closest House races — California’s 45th Congressional District. Ballots are still being counted.

Los Angeles officials support “sanctuary city” plans as Trump promises mass deportations

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday tentatively backed a “sanctuary city” law that forbids city employees and resources from being involved in federal immigration enforcement.
The city’s public school system also on Tuesday declared itself a sanctuary for immigrant and LGBTQ+ students and employees.

How the second Trump administration could impact the housing market

Trump has proposed policies that experts say could both worsen and improve the housing crisis. What actually happens depends on which ideas become reality.
Home prices in Southern California slid in October for the third straight month. But values remain near all-time highs and unaffordable for most households.

Native Americans press Biden to designate three new national monuments in California

President Biden faces calls to designate three new national monuments in California before he leaves office, which would amount to more than 1.2 million acres of protected land.
The news comes as some conservative groups are pushing Congress to abolish the 1906 law that allows presidents to designate national monuments.

What else is going on

Proposition 32 was just rejected. In blue California, why did the minimum-wage boost fail?
Danny Masterson’s attorneys tracked down jurors from the actor’s rape trial despite a judge’s order, court records show.
A mystery L.A. celebrity says a lawyer for accusers of Sean “Diddy” Combs tried to extort a payout.
An affordable housing complex for Hollywood workers faces complaints from tenants.
Fresh Brothers, the Southern California pizza chain, will expand into a national brand after being acquired this week by a Chicago-based company.

Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.

Commentary and opinions

The GOP targets Medicaid with the return of a terrible idea, business columnist Michael Hiltzik writes.
Trump’s billionaire budget-cutters are dangerously out of touch, columnist LZ Granderson argues.
This Democrat won in Trump country. Columnist Mark Z. Barabak looks at what her victory can teach the party.
Los Angeles squanders millions that could be spent fixing its streets and sidewalks, the Editorial Board writes.
Sexual violence on college campuses is still a big problem, but here’s a way to fight it, writes Jessica C. Harris, an associate professor of higher education and organizational change at UCLA.

This morning’s must reads

A photo of officers and first responders removing a body covered with a blanket.

A tabloid interview led to criminal charges in John Belushi’s death, writes Christopher Goffard in this week’s “Crimes of The Times.”

In March 1983, a year after Belushi’s death, Cathy Smith was indicted on a count of second-degree murder — a charge potentially carrying 15 years to life — and 13 counts of administering cocaine and heroin to the comedian.

Other must reads

A writer tries to re-create a traditional Italian walnut-based liqueur made by her great-grandfather and makes connections to her family and culture.

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your downtime

A man works on a floral arrangement for a customer at Hermano Flower Shop in Palms Springs.

Going out

🌴 Who needs L.A.? These 30-somethings are creating a hip, communal oasis in Palm Springs.
💐 The L.A. Flower District is full of surprises. Here’s a DIY guide for newbies.
🎥 Cynthia Erivo knows who she is and owns it proudly — as does her “Wicked” character Elphaba.
🎬 With two major movies opening next month, filmmaker Barry Jenkins discusses “Mufasa,” “The Fire Inside” and bouncing back from near-catastrophe on “The Underground Railroad.”
🎤 Is Post Malone headlining Coachella 2025? His newly announced tour dates seem to say so.

Staying in

📚 Cher’s rise to stardom and her rocky romance with Sonny Bono come into focus in a new memoir.
📺 The makers of “Inside Out 2” put a lot of their families — and themselves — into the movie’s exploration of puberty blues.
🌎 With “Squid Game 2” and “The Leopard,” Netflix doubles down on international appeal.
🥪 Here’s a recipe for fried-Spam kimchi grilled cheese sandwich.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.

A question for you: What is your favorite movie that captures the essence of California?

From “Lady Bird” to “Troop Beverly Hills,” the Golden State has starred in a wide range of movies. What’s your favorite?

Fritzi Lareau writes: “I am a tour guide and when touring the Golden State I show my guests ‘Point Break’ (the original with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze) or ‘Hollywood Homicide’ (Harrison Ford). If we are touring Yosemite, I show ‘Free Solo’ on the way.”

Susan writes: “My favorites are ‘Fruitvale Station,’ ‘The Last Black Man in San Francisco’ and ‘Bottle Shock.’ My favorite documentary is ‘The Garden.’”

And Jeffrey Chernov writes: “Flat out ‘Chinatown’ and ‘L.A. Confidential.’”

Email us at [email protected], and your response might be included in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your great photo of the day

Today’s great photo is from Colin Koerber of Oxnard: a serene view of Solana Beach in December of 2015 during a trip to see a relative.

Colin writes: “The scenery is priceless and the water is warm and not dirty like it is here in Oxnard. I swear there is something different about the water here.”

Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Defne Karabatur, fellow
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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