This year’s presidential election will likely have many consequences. It has certainly raised significant questions. Should the Electoral College be eliminated, or does it continue to serve a useful purpose? Are vote recounts more accurate when performed by machine or by hand? What role should courts play in this process? The issues being discussed are of central importance to our democracy.

Traveling throughout our state in recent weeks, I’ve become convinced that one of the most lasting and beneficial outcomes of this time will be greater interest in our democracy, a better understanding of our electoral process, and a renewed sense about the importance of each vote. In the end, I am hopeful that this election will reinforce the belief that each citizen can have an impact and that votes are precious and powerful.

In classrooms across Maine, I’ve been inspired by the genuine interest, curiosity and enthusiasm that has been generated by the presidential race. Regardless of their particular candidate preference, students are turning their attention to the larger questions about our democratic system and its institutions. And that, I would contend, is very healthy and encouraging.

Most of the people who have contacted my office to express their views on the election care deeply about the presidency and our electoral process. Whether they support Vice President Gore or Gov. Bush, the individuals who have taken the time to call or write generally share an unshakable faith in our system of government. And that too is a hopeful indication that this extraordinary electoral experience will make our nation stronger.

When our new president takes the oath of office Jan. 20 on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, I firmly believe that Americans will understand the necessity to unite and stand together as one people. Having served in Congress since 1995, I recognize that progress is possible when partisan differences are set aside and people work collaboratively with the public interest in mind.

Much work is needed to strengthen education, to make health care more affordable, to enhance retirement security, and to ensure that economic prosperity reaches all parts of Maine and the nation. Congress and the new administration will have an opportunity to move forward on this vital agenda in the coming months.

But efforts to make college more affordable, or to bring down the price of prescription medicine, or to enact a meaningful Patients’ Bill of Rights, or to create better paying jobs will require elected officials to work in a bipartisan fashion. And they will need the support of a public that appreciates the value in finding common ground and putting aside differences.

By visiting schools from Aroostook to Androscoggin counties, I’ve been reminded once again that young people want public servants to focus on the issues that matter most to families, and to seek solutions to the problems facing our communities. The hope and optimism of elementary and high school students in Bangor, Thorndike, Brewer, Eastport, and many other places will be with me as the 107th session of Congress convenes and a new administration takes shape in January.

John Baldacci represents Maine’s 2nd District in Congress.