Claiming A Slice of The American Pie

1. Claiming A Slice of The American Pie By Rahul K. Nirmal

2. Voter Requirements • U.S Citizen • 18 years of age or older • Registered to vote (except North Dakota) • Not judged as mentally incapacitated by a court • Not convicted of a felony • You still may be able to vote if your sentence is finished.

3. Houston Politics • Elected officials • Mayor • Elected every two years, up to three consecutive terms. • City Council (14 members) • Elected every two years in odd years, up to three consecutive terms. • City Council meetings are open to the public. • Controller • He/she manages the finances for the city. Elected separately from the mayor and city council.

4. Register to Vote • Must fill out application and mail it in. Fax and online submissions are not allowed • The form can be found online or at locations such as public libraries, high schools, Texas Department of Public Safety offices, etc. • Will receive voter registration card in mail as proof of eligibility.

5. Voter Registration Card Example

6. Where to apply for voter registration. • Don Sumners (Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar) • P.O Box 3527, Houston, Texas 77253-3527 • (713)-368-2200 • http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/reqvr.shtml

7. How To Vote • Go to your designated voting station and submit your vote. • Voting accommodations available for disabled, etc. • Can also vote outside the U.S (ex. Military or government duty). Called absentee voting. • Early voting also available for those unable to vote on election day.

8. Elected Office Requirements

9. School Board Elections • Information for my school district (CFISD) • You may vote if you are a registered voter in the district (ex. To vote in local and federal elections). Thus, this means to be a U.S citizen. • Info from my source found below. • http://www.cfisd.net/aboutour/board/keyrole.htm#are

10. A Few Famous Indian-Americans • Amar Bose • Founded and was Chairman of Bose Corporation • Neel Kashkari • Former position in Office of Financial Stability for the U.S Treasury • Indra Nooyi • CEO of PepsiCo • Vikram Pandit • CEO of Citigroup • Shantanu Narayen • CEO of Adobe Systems

11. Famous Indian Americans in U.S Politics • State Rep. Jay Goyal of Ohio was honored as one of Time magazine's "40 Under 40" rising political leaders. • Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana was a Hindu before converting to Catholicism as a teenager. • Former GOP State Rep. Nikki Haley, who grew up as a Sikh, became South Carolina's first South Asian and first female governor this year. • In November 2010 five Indian-American House contenders faced uphill odds: Amerish "Ami" Bera, a physician and medical school administrator whose California district includes Sacramento; lawyer and State Rep. Raj Goyle, of Wichita, Kansas; attorney Ravi Sangisetty, of Houma, Louisiana, whose rural district takes in 13 southeastern parishes; Manan Trevidi, a doctor and Iraq war veteran in suburban Philadelphia; and Surya Yalamanchili, a Procter & Gamble marketing executive in eastern Cincinnati. Hedge fund lawyer Reshma Saujani, trounced in her September 2010 primary bid to unseat nine-term Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York, vowed to run again in 2012.

12. Do’s For Politics • Do Learn of your opponents as best as possible. • They will do the same for you as well. • Do Have great advertising campaigns. • Use as many methods, flyers, ads on TV, newspapers, etc. • Do Have a clean, professional look. • Do Have as many friends as possible, especially those in power. • Do Have a good campaign team at your side. • Do Personally contact your important donors and voters. • Do Have a catchy slogan. For example… • George Bush Sr. – Read my lips, no new taxes. • Barack Obama – Yes we can. • Do Get as much exposure as possible and effectively • Try more to reach voters at social events vs. one at a time via door-to-door.

13. Dont’s For Politics • Don’t Post sensitive information in public such as Facebook. • Don’t Be uncertain, indecisive, change your stance from one interview/debate to another • Don’t Ignore your voters personally. • Always make sure to meet them face-to-face. • Don’t Do things you will later regret. • Those campaigning and those already in office face extreme scrutiny. • Don’t Make campaign promises you cannot keep. • People will hold you to them and would likely cost you re-election or more.

14. Other Tips for Entering Politics. • Campaigns are a marathon, not a sprint. • If you fail to be elected, try, try again. • Fundraising is a top priority in campaigning. • Get out of your “comfort zone”. • Don’t be afraid to ask for money or go door-to-door to meet voters.

15. For More Information… • http://www.votexas.org/ • Learn how to vote in Texas. • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_States • Basics of U.S Politics. • http://www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/voter/acquirevoterapp.aspx • Register to vote here in Harris County. • http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ • Information on U.S government for kids.

16. Thank You! • May this information allow more Indians in America to become part of the American political system.