Elections will deeply touch our lives in USA and Canada this month, November 2000, as voters trot to the polling booths to cast their ballots.
At the end of Election Day, voters will get the legislators and Government they deserve! We should not spoil our votes. They should be constructive and productive! Therefore, we the people, we who are governed, have to change our attitudes, use new tactics. Tactics to advance policies for the peoples betterment.
Since many legislators elected to Congress in the USA or to federal Parliament in Canada forget or ignore their promises after the election, we should ensure that we the voters would not forget what we were promised. What we need to get, is what we told the candidates we need and want.
May I suggest, some of the measures voters could consider to take before they cast their ballots to ensure accountability by candidates.
To vote smart, we should get organized. Voter education can be a helpful tool to bring major legislative changes for our good.
We should, therefore, strive to vote effectively. To do so, we should cast our votes for those candidates who support our aspirations and our goals.
To attain this voters should organize a grassroots coalition of as many community groups as possible. The more, the better.
A powerful tool to ensure that we get want we want from those candidates is to ask all candidates for office to sign a pledge endorsing the legislative goals we are seeking, and then compile a state-wide or province-wide list of candidates who endorsed our platform to inform other voters.
We should publicize as widely as possible the list of candidates who signed the pledge and convey the message to swing-voters especially in key districts.
Voters coalitions should use effectively media events to highlight the kind of legislation they believe they need, or will help improve their lives — from gun-control to health care, or less expensive prescription medication.
Whatever needs we decide essential, or acutely needed, or to which we are entitled should be publicized widely.
Voter education and similar strategies, will get the pro-public politicians elected to office. Of course, in all such strategies we should be, prudent and practical.
Voters must decide what strategies make most sense for them. Voters should determine whether this kind of ballot initiative, or whether referenda, or litigation, or other measures are more practical or feasible.
Strict evaluation of the various approaches should be performed before deciding which method or alternatives are chosen to keep the elected officials responsible and accountable.
The November elections in USA and in Canada will have an important impact on our lives and on our country. Vital issues are at stake. Therefore voters should cast their ballots responsibly, prudently, wisely. Let us make our ballots count.
