Pictured above: Granny D speaking at the U.S. Capitol after her walk across the nation, from the Library of Congress.

When national politics demands voters’ near-total attention, as it often does, it can be easy to miss the wonderful activism of local democracy reformers. But to understand the American people and our relationship with democracy, it is important to listen to and celebrate those local leaders who are on the ground, fighting for a more perfect union.

This past weekend, democracy activists in New Hampshire held their annual Granny D memorial walk and rally. In 1999, at the age of 90, Doris “Granny D” Haddock marched the 3,200 miles across the United States in honor of campaign finance reform. Though she passed away a decade ago, her spirit lives on strong in her home state of New Hampshire. Every year people gather to continue the movement started by Granny D, interpreting her message in the context of current events. The theme of this year’s Granny D memorial march was “Walking to fix our Democracy.”

FairVote’s Dave Daley kicked off the 2022 memorial march with a rallying cry inspired by Granny D herself: “Democracy is an action, it is a verb.”

As we reflect on the state of our democracy, it is important to remember that message; democracy is not passive, it requires active participation. Local democracy reform movements, like the one started by Granny D, are embracing civic engagement in an active, inspiring way. The Granny D march is an annual reminder that change begins at the local level!