State and local level voting still matters though I think.
It can in small towns where they tabulate by hand.
Not really. I saw that our town had a mayor running unoppsed. I figured just running as an independent and not being black, without even campaigning, I could win. I looked into what it takes to get in the ballot. It was nuts and expensive. You need some kind of organization behind you and I would never want that. Insane.
When I was young and idealistic I attempted to run for library board and they kept 'losing' my paperwork at the town hall and then refused to talk copies of all the signatures I had gathered. It's rigged at all levels.
I'm not surprised to hear about corruption of that sort, but I wonder how prevalent it is.