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How you can help LAist watchdog your elected officials
"I Voted" stickers in multiple language at a Los Angeles polling place.
(
Robyn Beck
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
This is an excerpt from our pop-up election newsletter Make It Make Sense .
Most of the November 2024 election is over, despite the agonizing wait for final results . But until then, we’ve got an eye on the next phase of the election: holding our elected officials accountable.
Accountability is already a big part of LAist’s journalism. We follow major initiatives , spotlight critical gaps in protecting communities or preventing disasters , and uncover corruption scandals . But we’re particularly interested in better understanding the everyday work our representatives are doing — or not doing. Even if your city council member never makes headlines for a controversy, they’re making critical decisions all the time over how much housing is in your neighborhood, where and how you travel through the city and how much funding goes to police or homelessness services. The same goes for your school board, your district attorney, and more.
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Scott Schmerelson was unanimously elected Tuesday to lead the LAUSD board after defeating a well-funded challenger in November’s election. -
Nguyen was able to take office weeks early to fill the vacancy caused Do’s resignation. -
Nathan Hochman succeeds George Gascón, known as the godfather of progressive prosecutors.
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As LAist’s civics and democracy producer, my job is to make local government more accessible to Angelenos. This work starts with knowing what you, the voters, want to keep tabs on.
Fill out the quick survey at the bottom of this post to let us know what you’re most interested in tracking as this next term gets underway. You can also
share this link
with anyone else you know who might want to share their thoughts, too. Here are some of the questions you can weigh in on:
- What measures or officials from the 2024 ballot do you want LAist to track?
- Is there specific information you want us to look for?
- What questions do you have about any of the measures we passed or officials we elected?
Additionally, one of our next projects will be developing a tracker for members of the L.A. City Council. It’s one of the most powerful local governments in the nation, with 15 members representing more than 4 million people. And yet when we talk to voters, most have no idea who their city representatives are, let alone how they’re shaping residents’ lives.
Here are some ideas for what we could include in an at-a-glance snapshot of a city council member’s time in office:
- How they voted on major legislation
- How much affordable housing they approved in their district
- Pedestrian fatalities over time in their district
- How they’re spending discretionary funds
Have any more ideas to add? You can let us know in the survey below.
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about how to interpret the results or track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2024 general election on Nov. 5.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
