At the local level, I think voting works.

That's why the local cops are so pissed off (they want to increase their budget from $21M to $25M, in a county of about 50k population, mostly rural) They keep getting told "no" to their insane appetite for money.

The county commissioners have to go around the will of the voters by finding loopholes to increase property taxes.

If the voting was rigged at the local level, the cops and county government would have their money.

It might not be the same everywhere, but that's the story from here.