You dont need to wait four years before you get your next say in how the government is run.
Heres how you could make your voice heard before election day rolls around again.
Three of those congresspeopletwo senators and one representativework for you personally.
You and your neighbors elect them, which means youre their boss.
And you’re free to tell them what to do.
After all, they have to like their constituents if they want to hold on to their jobs.
Still, any message is better than none, andemails are easy to send.
In-person meetings are even better.Bring an expert or someone with a personal storyor bring a crowd to protest.
Only bug your officials about things they can control.Your house representative doesnt vote on cabinet nominees.
Your national senator cant do anything about a bill in your state senate.
Neither of them have any direct control over whether that pothole in front of your house gets filled.
double-check youre contacting the right person for the job.
If youre phone-phobic,write a short scriptthat condenses your point in a sentence or two.
Im calling to ask [REPRESENTATIVES NAME] to vote [YES/NO] on [BILL].
This works whether you get a human or a voicemail box.
To make sense of it all, youll need to know who actually represents you.
A School Board, whose decisions can indirectly affect you whether you have kids in school or not.
Local Officials, which may include a town or city council, county officials, and perhaps a mayor.
Many statesalso elect judges.
you could also attend council meetings and speak at town hall events.
None of these peoples jobs last forever, though.
Check how long your elected officials terms are, and when each is next up for re-election.
While youre doing this, take note of the dates for elections.
November isnt the only month with a voting day, after all.
There is so much going on in government, you shouldnt expect to keep track ofeverything.
And join up with groups, local and national, that care about the issues you care about.
If youre not sure where to look,this list of advocacy organizationsmay be a good place to start.
Pick one or two, though.
Dont wear yourself out trying to keep up with everything.
you could also choose which issues to follow.
After the 2020 census, states will be able to redraw the boundaries of their voting districts.
Badly drawn districtsbetter known asgerrymanderingskew votes in favor of one party or another.
But groups like the non-partisanFairVoteadvocate for an end to this practice.
Another way to shake up the system would be toabolish the electoral college entirely.
Each party has local chapters.
You could alsobethe person in office.
But youll have to start the process of getting on the ballot well in advance of the next election.
In more competitive districts and for bigger offices, you have more of an uphill climb.
But running for office is definitely within reach for many of you reading this.
Your political parties and advocacy groups can also help you get the education you need.
Illustration by Jim Cooke.
