There is some degree of consensus about the possibilities of digital media as a way to increase citizen participation. Even those who perceive a society in which various forms of domination and power are being leveraged by information technology still believe in the potential of computing and communications media to expand democracy. This article is an exploratory study of the use of electronic media by city council members to reach citizens, conducted in Brazilian cities with more than five hundred thousand inhabitants. The findings show that local representatives have e-mail addresses but do not reply to incoming messages. Their websites display substantial variations in content and quality. On one extreme, one finds mere "electronic fliers" that are limited to the political biography of the host and lack any interactivity mechanisms. On the other end of the range, sites provide full details about the councilperson's activities and multiple interaction devices, providing current, updated content. The websites of a few of these city council members confirm the potential of information technology for the enhancement of democratic practices.