Each year, Independence Day prompts celebration across the country—parades, cookouts, fireworks, and a collective pause to honor freedom. But what does that freedom really mean? In this blog post, our team shares personal reflections on what Independence Day means to them—stories rooted in lived experience, civic engagement, and the ongoing pursuit of justice.

On May 13, Cleveland VOTES teamed up with Signal Cleveland to host Elections Unfiltered: Promises, Power+ Politics, a special "unfiltered" community conversation event. We provided the participants with a safe space to talk about the issues that are important to them and their priorities for the 2025 elections.

On April 10, Rank the Vote Ohio announced the launch of a campaign to bring ranked choice voting (RCV) to the city of Lakewood. Cleveland VOTES sat down with Christopher Bindel, the person behind the new Rank the Vote Lakewood campaign. Christopher is a lifelong Lakewood resident and local politics enthusiast. Keep reading to learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved. We also explain the basics of RCV in case you aren't familiar with the term.

After nearly a century without it, public comment has been back at Cleveland City Council since 2021. Public comment allows Clevelanders to elevate the issues that are important to them and their communities—however, advocates say the fight for full civic access isn’t over.