Introducing: ReConsider’s Sheriff Election Lookup
Sheriff elections are happening in thousands of counties across the country this November. Do you know who your sheriff is? With ReConsider’s new Sheriff Election Lookup, it’s easier than ever to find out who your sheriff is and whether they’re running for re-election this year.
Click here to use the Sheriff Election Lookup or access it in the toolbar of our website (next to “Podcasts”, “Articles” and “About us”)
With more and more videos of extrajudicial killings by police officers around the country, the question of what our relationship to law enforcement institutions is more important than ever. Though tribal narratives stick to simple and provocative catchphrases like “defund the police” or “back the blue”, there are other ways to engage with the civil institutions that oversee the state’s monopoly on violence.
Not all sheriffs are elected – its a patchwork system where each county has its own rules and regulations. But the vast majority are. And it’s difficult to find information about these people and the campaign they’re planning to run.
That’s why ReConsider created the Sheriff Election Lookup. It’s a simple tool that does one thing: it tracks sheriffs that are running for re-election this November (2020 for you future readers). Simply enter your zip code, and the Sheriff Election Lookup will check to see if your county has a sheriff running for election.
You can access the Sheriff Election Lookup right here.
A few caveats
Currently (as of late August), the Sheriff Election Lookup is only active for the following states: Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio. We will be actively adding more states as we get closer to November so please keep checking back. Or, if you really want your state to be added, drop me a line at [email protected] and I’ll do what I can to move that state to the front of the queue.
If something’s not working, let us know. This is ReConsider’s first time creating a tool like this, and chances are it won’t be perfect. Please do let us know if you run into any problems by emailing me at [email protected].
Why build this tool at all?
Elections are a powerful way for citizens to exert influence on the tools of power that it has entrusted to a small group of overseers. If this small group is not adequately representing the will of the people, they can be quickly replaced. This is even more so for local elections like County Sheriff, where the voter turnout is usually extremely small compared to national or state-level officials. Your vote can really matter in sheriff elections, and you have the opportunity in the near future to use it how you see fit.
There aren’t a lot of easy ways to look up to see if your Sheriff is running for re-election. A google search for sheriff elections returns old election schedules that have long since passed. Ballotpedia does have some of this information on sheriffs, but finding it requires some digging. It also requires that you know the name of your county, which many people may not. But if you know your home address, you know your zip code, and that’s all you need to use the Sheriff Election Lookup.
Additionally, Ballotpedia’s detail on sheriffs vary greatly. Some sheriffs have extensive detail on them, others don’t. Often times details of their campaign are limited, and there’s no contact information available. The ReConsider Sheriff Lookup has websites, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and occasionally email addresses, for most sheriffs. Note: we tried hard to make sure that all of these phone numbers are *not* emergency numbers, since you clearly shouldn’t call an emergency number with political questions. To be safe, double check the website first. When reaching out to voice your opinion to the Sheriff’s department, you should call an office line and be respectful about your requests and demands as a voter.
Use the Sheriff Election Lookup in conjunction with Ballotpedia once you find out who your sheriff is and whether or not they are running for re-election. The Sheriff Election Lookup is a simple tool for a simple purpose: find out if you can vote for your law enforcement representative in November.
Related articles, podcasts and sources
- Infographic: We Watch the Watchment – A guide to driving local police accountability
- Article: Abuse of State Power is Everyone’s problem
- Article: De-wedging police violence in the United States
- Podcast: Who Watches the Watchmen? George Floyd & Police Brutality
- Podcast: Who Watches the Watchmen? Part 2: Complex Causes of Police Brutality
- Podcast: The Portland Deployment and Operation Legend
- LA Times (opinion): L.A. voters are clueless about how to elect a great sheriff. Here’s Why
- The Appeal: Prosecutor and Sheriff Elections in 2020: A master list and calendar
- The Appeal: The Power of Sheriffs, explained
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