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Dhruti Contractor, 25, is a Public Health Prevention Service Fellow at the Centers for Disease and Prevention. Outside of work, she hopes to promote political awareness and activism through the Georgia Indian American Political Action Committee. 
What’s Next?

Your job is not over yet. Now is the time to get involved and to inform your representatives of your priorities, says DHRUTI.

Congratulations! You voted! Now what’s next?

If the candidate you supported won the race, you have a representative you believe will fight for your priorities in government. If your candidate did not win, all is not lost. Maybe you did not think either candidate represented you, but voted for the one that you liked a little more. 

Just as the winning candidates are now our representatives, we - the voters - are now their constituents. The winning candidates do not only represent those who voted for them, but they represent all people in their areas of power. 

Voting is a snapshot that tells our representatives what we think overall. The fact that the presidential race and other races in many of our states were decided by a very small margin indicates to the candidates that about half of the people disagree with their stance. They will be very careful in listening to their constituency because every elected official is looking to gain our votes for the next election. 

Representatives will certainly pay attention to this snapshot for a while, but they will most pay attention to those that continue to let them know what they think. Do you really trust our representatives enough to give them a blank check to make policies and laws for us for the rest of their time in office? 

Remember the following points: 
*Elected by some, responsible for all – The people who were elected, now, represent all of you and are obligated to listen to all constituents. 
*Your job is not over – Even if your candidate won the election, if you do not continue to inform them of your priorities, they will act differently based on the constituents who talk to them the most.
*Before 2005 – NOW is the time to get involved. Each body of government with the power to set policies and laws will be setting their Legislative Agenda by January 2005. This Agenda will guide the priorities in the Legislature for many years to come, so it is in your best interest to get your issues on the Agenda early. The longer you wait, the less there is a chance they can address these issues.
*It is easier than you think – Make one phone call or write one personal letter to each of your State and U.S. Representatives. I would suggest the following making one or more of these phone calls – 1) County Commissioner or CEO; 2) State Senator; 3) State House Representative; 4) US Senator; 5) US House Representative; 5) Governor; and 6) Lieutenant Governor. Your phone call or letter can be a simple as this: “I am a constituent of the 7th District of Georgia for the US House of Representatives, and my family and I (4 voters) would like Mr. John Linder to know that we are disappointed in his stance on the war. 
*Use your friends – Many of your friends probably agree with you on some policies, so give them the phone number to call these representatives before January 2005.
*Elections are every November – Elections do not come every four years. Presidential races happen every four years, but other state and local races are on the ballot every year.
*Want more? – If you would like to do more on any issue, become involved in an organization that works for this issue or with the political party that you believe represents you better. Sign up for MegaVote.org, which will give you a notice every time there is a major vote by your US Representatives.

Voting is the bedrock of the political process and every elected official will work hard to keep our votes. Therefore, each of us has power during and between elections. It is in our best interest to make a few phone calls early and pay attention periodically to how they vote.

And, as always, I appreciate any feedback on  issues you would like to see covered in this column. Please send your feedback to contact@nripulse.com.

 

Archives:

October 16th : Other Side to Medical Malpractice Argument

September 16th : The Hidden 100

September 1st Dekalb's Super District 7

August 16th issue: Just the Basics - What’s It All About?

July 16th issue: The Atlanta City Council President

July 1st issue: Georgia US Senate Race 12 people – One Seat –You decide

June 1st issue: Georgia Senate Race

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