This fall has been an exciting time to be an American. In the past week alone, reports of widespread political fervor have attained media spotlight as the recent “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” and midterm elections mobilized voters nationwide. Turnouts at the Nov. 2 elections were consistent with or higher than the typical 30-40 percent in many districts, suggesting that the myth of the midterm participation slump fell short in the face of a particularly passionate American public. Just three days before the midterm elections, over 215,000 people gathered on the National Mall for Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert’s anti-partisan rally. Amid politicians’ intense campaign efforts and the media’s sensationalizing of the election season, it is clear that politically conscious Americans have come together by exercising their rights to vote and gathering peacefully to make their voices heard—even if they don’t necessarily come together in their politics.

As Sogand Afkari’s op-ed on page eight, “Sanity Marches on Washington,” points out, many of the rallygoers traveled long distances to demonstrate their desire for a political system that is based on truth and reason rather than fear. Though the focus on “sanity” was a tongue-in-cheek jab at both extreme ends of the political spectrum, the idea behind it was serious: hundreds of thousands of Americans braved Washington, D.C. traffic and suffocating crowds to express their belief in the power of moderation and rational thought. Likewise, participation in elections can also require effort: voters may have to get up early to vote before work or apply far ahead of time in order to vote absentee. The fact that considerable numbers of Americans took time out of their busy daily lives to be active participants in this election season is a testament to the power of the current political climate.

These grand demonstrations of personal investment in the country’s future are certainly impressive, but it is imperative not to let the enthusiasm fade with the end of the election season. To some extent, a less intense atmosphere is inevitable in the political world. After the winners are announced, Democrats tone down their airy promises of hope and progress while Republicans loosen their supposedly exclusive grip on family values. However, the change in rhetoric does not correspond to a change in situation; America still faced the same major issues on Nov. 3 as it did on Nov. 1. The closing of polls does not signify the end of the country’s problems, regardless of whether or not the party you prefer came out on top. We still need passionate people to push our leaders toward the right policy decisions.

Just because the rally and the elections are over does not mean that we have no say in our leaders’ actions for the next two years. Now that the standard, partisan name-calling and mudslinging is over, the election winners will have to start working together toward solutions to the issues we elected them to solve, and they will look to their constituents for guidance. We can and should continue to be active in encouraging our leaders to make decisions we believe in. The fate of the nation isn’t sealed over election night, and it takes more than three hours to restore sanity. But if we keep exercising our right to political agency beyond election season, maybe (just maybe) elections won’t seem so insane the next time around.