Democracy in time

Elections are a unique opportunity to reflect on the democratic process.  It should be a process.  Yet elections are a point in time.

Make pretend democracies enable individuals, citizens, to express their personal opinion.
Make pretend that the individual is a thinking person, whose free will is expressed through their vote.
Make pretend that the marketing prior to the actual vote is purely informative.

All that provides for a moment in time.

After the election the votes are counted, the winner elected and the voter forgotten.

Where is the democracy after the election?  Or is all that remains an elected dictator?!