How Do We Hold Our Elected Officials Accountable?
Every election year, people jump into their role as engaged voters, eager to fulfill their civic duty. There’s a lot of hype, rallying cries, social media posts, and tons of emails asking for your donations, support, and your vote. This year was certainly the epitome of that. People came out in droves, people continued to protest, and our feeds, conversations, and basically our entire lives, were dominated by what would happen on November 3rd.
What typically happens post election, however, is that many slowly (or abruptly) lose interest in the process until the next election year. Really, until the next Presidential election year, as the average person doesn’t pay attention to the primaries. Roughly 60% of people vote in the Presidential election, versus 40% in the midterm election. This has to stop.
While voting is essential to changing our government, what’s even more essential is what we do after someone is elected. If you elected them, this is not the time we walk away and hope they do what they say they would. If you didn’t vote for them, this is definitely not the time to just wait patiently for the next election to re-engage in the political system. Post-election is the time that we need to make our voices the loudest if we want to see any real change happen, and if we want to hold our elected officials accountable on the job.
Most of us are used to critiquing whoever the sitting President is, but we give far less attention to any other elected official. We need to hold those on the state and city level more accountable than anyone else, as they have a regular direct impact on our lives. To do that, we first need to know who they are. You might know the President’s platform, but do you know your state representative’s or mayor’s platform? Once you know where they stand, you can begin to hold them accountable- to their own words.
We also need to use our words and get real loud. Say what you will about Twitter and Instagram, but our ability to be heard these days is unlike any other time in history. If 2020 taught us anything, it should be that we have a voice and we need to use it. Online activism is super important, but even more important is our offline actions.Those who hold public office are supposed to work for the people, but if they don’t feel the pressure from the people, that’s not always going to happen.
Holding our elected officials is key if we want to see any real change happen.
Action Steps
Below are five actionable ways to do just that, and keep your civic engagement going, post-election:
1. Take to The Streets
Okay, so we can retweet and repost all day long, but that doesn’t mean much compared to the power of protest. Eventually, you’re going to have to get off the couch and join in on making some real noise. Protests attract attention by nature, and they disrupt the norm. They make it so that people can’t look away anymore, and this is single handedly one of the best methods we can use to effect change in our government. Politicians (good ones, anyway) know when they need to start listening, and protests can truly force their hands.
2. Call Them–Like Everyday
Did you know you can contact just about any elected official? On the phone, over email- even on twitter. They aren’t as far away as you think. The most effective method is to call your local reps. When you call, they have to hear your voice, a real human, letting them know your thoughts on what they are doing. They might even have to hear your voice, a lot, if you keep picking up the phone. In the end, that can really make a difference.
3. Join a Group
Grassroots activism means organizing and uniting! You can’t do much on our own, but when you unite with others, we hold so much power. There is no better way to not only say motivated and connected, but to hold our officials accountable, then to join or create a group. A group is hard to ignore, and a group can create real change.
4. Sign Those Petitions–Heck, START Those Petitions
Petitions matter! Whether you spend 10 minutes on change.org everyday, or if you get petition updates from social media or organizations, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure you are signing those petitions that matter. If you don’t see petitions happening for things you care about, create those petitions!
5. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Finally, if you like what a candidate is doing, there is no better way to show it than to support them financially. Politicians depend on donations to run, and this is how we can lift up those that really represent us. We can also put pressure on existing candidates by not financially supporting them for re-election.
-Alicia Briggs, Content Creator