Many of us are feeling fearful, frustrated, angry, helpless and wondering what, if anything, we can do in light of the turn of events since the November election.

Some of us are writing postcards, calling our representatives in Congress, marching or demonstrating and venting on social media — all good actions and ones I recommend you take if you can.

Some of us are even thinking about moving to another country.

But remember the old saying “think global, act local.” It’s still valid. There is something you might consider here at home that can have real, long-lasting and positive effects in your community.

That’s where it all starts. Small movements grow large when groups organize around an issue, a location or a need to get something changed or keep it from changing in a negative way.

You can do that right now by getting involved.

Apply to sit on a board or commission. Are you passionate about open space? Volunteer for the local open space or parks committees. Do you have kids in schools? Get on the site council.

Join the PTA. Speak up on issues at meetings and with others who are concerned. Most boards and councils have advisory committees you can participate in as an active citizen.

Perhaps you might even want to run for local office but don’t have the first idea how to start. If so, read on. If you don’t want to run yourself, but you’d like to help someone else get elected to a school board, water board or city council, read on. If you’re just dissatisfied with the current makeup of a local board, read on.

Other than a scattering of special elections before then, 2026 is the next opportunity to run for and be elected to local office in California.

It’s not too soon to be planning your run, gathering supporters and information about the responsibilities of the office, the cost of running and all the other details.

Now is the time to start thinking of what you are passionate about. Is it education, health care, clean water, infrastructure, housing or just good government?

In 2026 in Marin County alone, 11 cities and towns, 22 special districts, 17 school boards, the Marin County Board of Education, the College of Marin, two water districts and three supervisorial districts will all hold elections.

You can find information about which seats are up in which districts at the county elections office website at bit.ly/3H4cXHf.

Find out who holds these seats now. If you’ve been involved or simply paying close attention to local issues, you probably know already. You have an idea of which board members or trustees share your values and which, if any, don’t. Are any of them up for election in 2026? How long have they served? Do you think you can do a better job than they are currently doing?

If this is you or someone you know, here are a few simple steps to get started:

• Go to meetings. Agendas are usually published online. Many meetings are now shown via online video conference or operate as a hybrid, so attending and participating is relatively painless.

• Find out who serves on committees or is active in the issues facing the district. Get to know those people and talk to them. Get several viewpoints.

• Apply for a seat on a committee, board or commission yourself.

• Research the cost of this election. Look at the costs of prior elections in the same district. All candidates must file a statement with their city, county or district they run in detailing who has contributed and how much. Some have limits on what an individual may contribute.

• Start making your own personal lists of friends, relatives, colleagues and former classmates who might contribute, provide an endorsement or volunteer for your campaign.

So no, don’t run away. Stay and make a real difference that you can see right here at home. These small changes add up to big wins for democracy.

Dotty LeMieux, a lawyer living in Fairfax, runs GreenDog Campaigns, a female-owned campaign consulting firm.