For those who are not aware, Ohio is the most important state in the nation right now.

On behalf of thousands of activists and political organizers around the country, Adrienne Maree Brown — co-editor of “How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office” — addressed students and community members Friday night in the Union on how they can play a role in sustaining the influence that both Ohio and America’s youth have held throughout this political season.

“We sit in New York and fight over who gets to go and talk to people in Ohio,” she said. “On Nov. 3, you [Ohio] might not be the most important place anymore, but you still have to be responsible to each other and make your change happen here.”

While referencing many of the youth-driven success stories found in “How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office,” Brown highlighted the fact that many people often forget who works for who in our democratic system of government.

By stressing a theme of progressive non-partisanship, Brown believes citizens can hold politicians from each of the major political parties accountable for their actions.

“They [politicians] are our employees,” she said. “We pay taxes to pay their salaries, and they don’t listen to us. When we’ve got someone who isn’t representing us well, there is only one way we can fire them.”

According to Brown, building a lasting grassroots movement across the nation is the main goal that has unified three political organizations based in New York City.

As program director of the League of Young Voters, Brown runs a national non-profit training program that focuses on electoral basics, like training people on how to run for office. In addition, the LYV aids community groups across the country in developing voter registration drives that revolve around important local issues.

As a sister-organization, the League of Independent Voters then takes the next step, helping the registration groups create voter blocs in their communities. As groups register voters in their community, those who wish to support progressive candidates sign their name on an endorsement list, or voter bloc.

The headline name of this three-pronged political weapon, the League of Pissed-Off Voters, will then support the choices made by local registration groups across the country. Funding is allocated for the production of voter guides, which are printed cards that list the endorsements that have been made by each voter bloc in the nation.

The benefits of all this hard work by “The Leagues” will become evident after elections on Nov. 2.

Once politicians that have been endorsed by a voter bloc are elected, representatives from that group then have the power to hold a politician accountable on the issues and can demand change when necessary. In many cases, a politician’s future employment will lie in the hands of a voter bloc, especially when a massive number of people have signed on.

“If I can say that you [politician] won by 300 votes, and we have a bloc of 500 people, then we have some real leverage,” Brown said.

While hundreds of thousands around the U.S. are signing their names in unity, voter blocs in Bowling Green and the Toledo area have developed a strong following in northwest Ohio.

Local groups like ReachOut of Bowling Green have generated support in the community, and nearly 20,000 copies of a Wood County/Lucas County Voter Guide can be found in bars and stores throughout town.

“I was so impressed, almost to the point of tears,” Brown said, after seeing a stack of voter guides for local and national issues in Grounds for Thought coffee shop.

On top of sales at speaking engagments and through the Internet, over 30,000 copies of “How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office” have been sent out to community organizers across the country for free.

“Our publisher, Softskull Press, has been generous in supporting our choice to try and give the book away in swing states,” she said. “We’ve given a bunch to organizers so they could use it as a fundraising tool for their local work. In other cases, we’ve charged a dollar to help with our travel costs.”

Brown also hopes potential readers are not turned off by the accusational language that lies in the title of this book.

“It does not necessarily have to be ‘Stupid’ or ‘White’ or ‘Men’ that need throwing out of office,” Brown said. Instead, she asked citizens to place an emphasis on recognizing the intentions of their potential representatives before placing them in office.

“A brilliant mind combined with no heart is the most dangerous thing in the world,” Brown said.