Voting is the cornerstone of any democracy. Voting gives power to the people to decide who they want to govern them and what policies they want to implement. It is no surprise then that some people want to limit this power.
Restricting certain people from voting has long been used as a political tool in America. I’m sure you have heard about poll taxes and literacy tests. A poll tax requires someone to pay money to vote while a literacy test requires someone to demonstrate they are literate in order to vote. These methods along with others were common in the late 20th century when Jim Crow laws dictated the political and social landscape of certain states. It goes without saying that the aim of these restrictive policies was to prevent African Americans, Native Americans, and other disenfranchised groups from exercising their right to vote.
This practice of inhibiting people to vote is still maintained in 21st century America. One example is gerrymandering, which is the redrawing of district lines. Altering district lines is intended to account for population changes but it is often used instead as a political tool to win elections. Districts can be redrawn to have a majority of a specific party, or to place opposition members in a few small districts. This makes it significantly harder for a person’s vote to matter because the state’s districts are already rigged to ensure the win of one party.
Another mechanism which suppresses voters is voter purges. A voter purge is when names are deleted from voter registration lists because people have moved, died, or some other reason. While this seems reasonable, voting purges often target the wrong people. Purges can remove people from voting based on inaccurate data. This results in perfectly eligible voters being barred from voting. An example is Virginia in 2013 which purged 39,000 voters based on data that had an error rate of 17%. Not to mention that voter purges are increasingly becoming popular. More and more people are being excluded from voting despite faulty evidence. They don’t even get the chance to vote. You need to let a person get on the playing field to even have a chance to turn the tables. At least gerrymandering allows someone to vote even if the process is significantly rigged.
Photo ID laws are another method that is used to manipulate elections. Several states require a government issued photo ID to vote. Not everyone in America has such an ID. Obtaining an ID can be a long and tedious process which may be expensive for some people. Low income families already have to worry about earning enough to put food on the table. Where would they find the time to obtain a government photo ID? Also, some people might have a harder time obtaining such an ID because of where they live. Rural areas for example might not have an immediate location where they can acquire an ID so people living in these areas would have to travel farther to get one. If the location is very distant, it’s understandable why people would prefer not to make the long trek.
So why does all this matter? You may think you aren’t affected by voter suppression but think again. Politicians will constantly come up with new ways to deter people from voting. You could very well be purged from voting in the near future. Your state may pass new requirements for voting that you do not meet and that you would need to expend a significant amount of effort to meet. There’s no telling what will happen.
Therefore, it’s important to take the necessary steps to fight voter suppression. Getting politically involved by sending emails to politicians, speaking up at meetings, voting when you can etc. can help protect your voting rights. There are also simpler ways to take action. Just simply know your rights. Look at your state’s voting laws and observe all the requirements and regulations. This way you will be prepared for the next election.
Voting is the fundamental concept of democracy. It needs to be protected. Politicians shouldn’t be able to alter the right to vote to benefit themselves and their party. A democracy needs its citizens to vote.
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Written by Elizabeth McBride from Sarasota, Florida
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