But what about those who can’t show up? What about the voice of the suppressed?
It is without a doubt that ballot boxes in America are more often starved than stuffed. According to FairVote, there was a 60% voter turnout for the 2018 presidential election and a 50% voter turnout for the 2018 midterm elections. Trusting our government starts with electing officials who we trust to do the job. As best said by Stacey Abrams, “voting is an act of faith.”
But how can we expect more people to exercise their sacred right when countless barriers exist to hinder what we prize most? We love to talk about full civic engagement, but take inconsistent steps to meaningfully expand the electorate.
The United States has a long history of disenfranchisement and voter suppression (and let’s not forget about the electoral college, which to me, makes no sense). We are skeptical citizens who neither trust our government nor believe that our votes actually count.
Confusing voter ID requirements suppress the votes of people of color. Lack of language assistance in many jurisdictions makes it difficult for language minorities to understand the voting process. The incarcerated population can’t vote. Who makes up the incarcerated population? According to the Bureau of Justice, 38% of state prisoners are black, and 21% are Hispanic. Minority voices are suppressed in every direction. Reduced early voting, reduced voting hours, and closure of polls make it difficult for working citizens and low-income families to vote as they just can’t spare the 3+ hours to wait in line during the work day. Unfortunately, these are only a few, of the many ways voting is suppressed across the United States.
We can start by clarifying and eliminating absurdly stringent ID requirements. We can establish an automatic voter registration system. We can allow same-day registration throughout the country. Amidst a pandemic, we need to expand options for vote by mail. And let’s give the incarcerated a voice. After all, the officials elected determine the state of their communities when they return to society.
To restore faith in our government we have to restore faith in our voting rights. To restore our faith in voting rights, we need people whose voice is unhindered to use it. We need to take that “act of faith.”