What to do after an election

After an election takes place you can sometimes feel a bit unsure of what to do next. You might have spent the last few weeks watching a lot of the news, reading newspapers, going along to husting events, getting informed and then finally going along to your polling place to have your say.

 

Once it’s all over and the results have been announced it can be a bit daunting figuring out what you can do next and how to get in touch with the newly elected members. If you weren’t able to vote in the first place you might feel even more distanced from taking an interest in who is in charge of where you live.

 

As part of our Connecting Equalities project we have been producing a series of resources to help make it easier to approach MPs, MSPs and Councillors.

The ‘Contacting your elected representatives‘ guide will take you through the steps of finding out what your Councillor, MSP and MP do and how to contact them when you have a problem. The guide outlines what to include in your correspondence to them and tips for being as clear as possible. The guide further explains what happens after your contact your elected representative and what their staff do.

 

The Moments of Freedom group have been working closely with their MSP and local Councillors in West Dunbartonshire for the last 3 years inviting them to events and organising group surgeries with their interpreter.

Together we co-produced a resource, What to do after elections, to explain all that you can do in between elections and what you can get involved with. It’s important to remember that politics doesn’t just happen on polling and election days, it happens all year round. By working with your local elected members you can work towards making your community better.

So, get in touch with your newly elected representatives, join committees or community councils and make sure your voice is heard!