elections
More than Voting: Tips for Becoming a More
Engaged Citizen and Constituent
By Kirsten Widner
Emory University
E
lection day is rapidly approaching, and most of us are
being inundated with political advertising, requests for
campaign contributions, and news stories about the
upcoming vote. Although certainly the decisions we make at
the polls on November 6th matter, all the focus on the event
that is election day obscures the important work that is going
on the rest of the year. As lawyers, we have specialized
knowledge and skills that we can contribute in valuable ways
to our government. Here is a reminder of five things you can
do to stay involved the other 364 days of the year:
Find your issue: We are all busy, and none of us have time
to stay on top of every issue in the news or under government
consideration. Often, we struggle to keep up with even those
that we care about. If you focus your energy, it is easier to
stay informed and contribute to the public conversation. Your
issue may relate to your practice area, where you have welldeveloped expertise; it may relate to an interest or activity,
like the arts or a board that you serve on; or it may relate
to something you have no real connection to, but that you
care deeply about.
Stay informed: Once you choose your issue, identify
sources that can keep you up to date on policy and legislative
developments in your area. This may be a non-profit
advocacy organization; a professional association, such
as a section of the Atlanta Bar or other bar association; or
your local chamber of commerce, PTA, or other group of
concerned individuals. Many of these organizations have
listservs or other newsfeeds that can help keep you informed.
Once you know what the problems or questions under
consideration are, you can bring your critical analysis and
other relevant skills to bear to make a difference.
Get involved at the local level: While the presidential
election is getting much of the attention, a lot of important
day-to-day decisions are made much closer to home. Local
level commissions and boards hold open meetings and
provide the opportunity for public comment on a range of
issues that affect quality of life in our communities. Care
The Official News Publication of the Atlanta Bar Association
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about schools? Attend your local school board meetings.
Care about economic development? Attend your local
planning commission or zoning board meeting. Care about
health care? Attend hospital authority meetings. Meeting
times, locations, and agendas are usually posted online in
advance, for example, at www.fultoncountyga.gov, http://
www.co.dekalb.ga.us/, and http://www.boarddocs.com/ga/
aps/Board.nsf/Public, to list a few.
Communicate with your elected officials: Once officials
are elected, they are accountable to their constituents. Yet
many legislators say they rarely hear from their constituents.
Georgia General Assembly members regularly say that if they
hear from even three constituents on one issue, it’s unusual.
Thus, your call can really make a difference. Don’t know
who your representatives are? Go to www.votesmart.org.
Share your expertise: Unlike the federal Congress, the
Georgia General Assembly is a citizen legislature without
expansive staff to support its fact-finding and analysis
functions. Attorneys who can share their time and expertise
can be an invaluable resource in this environment. You can
get involved by reviewing legislative drafts and providing
comments to lawmakers or committees considering the bill,
or providing interested legislators with recommendations
for new bills.
Our communities benefit from increased citizen engagement
through more informed public discussion, more thoroughly
vetted laws and policies, and more accountable elected
officials. Attorneys also benefit by broadening personal
and professional networks and deepening understanding
of government structures and processes. Get out and get
involved! ■
November 2012
THE ATLANTA LAWYER
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