But we still haven't fulfilled the true potential of the power the vote affords us to transform both who represents us as well as the policies those representatives vote to enact.
Imagine those representatives determining our current energy policy.
We should thank those representatives who still believe in democracy.
Many of those representatives deny climate change is man-made.
Those representatives traditionally make up about one-third of the total number there.
A number of those representatives are also not seeking re-election or are from moderate districts.
But in the fall of 2001, differences emerged in how those representatives thought the aid should be structured.
"I want a nice house like one of those representatives or one of those lawyers," he says.
"Now voters know where their representatives stand on this," he said, "and those representatives will be hearing about it".
Those representatives may have worn a very different expression when they learned they also had to send in their passport numbers.
As Mr. Cuomo wrote, "Voters cannot have complete faith in their elected representatives if they cannot assess where else those representatives are earning money".
