Voting – Why, How and Where
By
John C Abercrombie
Voting is one of the most important rights of citizenship in America. It has been a contentious subject from the days of the founding of the country. In fact, the country was founded on the principal of no taxation without representatives. Leading the fight against the practice and the taxation of the colonies by the British.
Hypocrisy has been part of the process as the power has been taken by the White male landowners while many people of color died in the fight for freedom from these representative practices. At one point, even White men who were not landowners were denied the right to vote. This skewed the system in favor of the rich landowners from the start.
It has come at a great price that others have been granted this most sacred privilege. It is first brought forth with the 15th amendment, passed February 3, 1870, that granted the right to vote to Black males. It was not until the passage of the 19th amendment, passed June 4, 1919, that women were granted the right to vote and
Native Americans, the original inhabitants of the country were not granted the right to vote until passage of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924.
There is a great tendency on the part of those in power to restrict voting rights, often by sophisticated means such as Gerrymandering (see post here) and other voter suppression measures (see post here).
Throughout history the fight for voting rights has been marred by blood shed as much effort has been invested to prevent the exercise of this right by the groups mentioned above and others have had the same difficulties. Many have suffered physical brutality for attempting to exercise this right, but they have never given up. That fight continues to this day. Although there are many who fear the consequences of attempting to stand up for themselves and often hide behind ignorance and statements that their vote does not matter, it is little more than bluster, cowardice, and fear.
Without defining words, history conceals that many of the earlier riots were actually fights to exercise the right to vote. Failure to vote is disrespectful to those who have sacrificed so much for our right to do so. It is false bravery to claim ignorance when it comes to a right so sacred as the right to vote. It is time to find out not only why, how to and where to vote.
It varies specifically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but there are many common factors. Much of this information is available from an online search. Yes, some of the most impacted groups have limited access, but public libraries and governmental offices are a rich source of information. We will include some resources here but bear in mind that the source of the information is of immense importance and should come from a governmental organization or one that you are familiar with and consider reputable. There are many that are intentionally putting forth incorrect information.
While it should be available to all qualified people, there are many who have given up on the right to vote, including those with felonies in their past. There are ways to put it in the past, but it does require work, but remember you are fighting for the right to be heard! Many Americans believe that a debt can be repaid but laws often deny that basic belief to many deserving people.
Many states have made it easier to vote by such measures as Motor Voting which allows every qualified person to register at the DMV. While other states are seeking to prevent the use of drop off boxes. False information is only a way to prevent people from exercising their right to vote effectively.
Does your state have all mail in voting? Some do and while the question of voting integrity is frequently spoken of, there are effective laws on the books that can be used, however the number of cases is extremely small, and it seems like the question is more detrimental to preventing the vote in the first place than deterring the extremely small number of documented cases of voter fraud. These cases often show an extreme variance in the penalty with people of color suffering disparate sentencing.
It is critical that you do your research and that includes getting it from dependable people and other resources. Protect your most sacred right by taking the effort to inform yourself and most important, take action. Freedom is not a spectator sport.
While we often speak of election day, there are other options such as early voting which offers days before election day when ballots can be case.
One of the noteworthy events is Souls to the Poles in which many Blacks follow a tradition of voting after church. This is often the target of those seeking to diminish Black participation in our system.
There are provisions for absentee voting which is especially helpful to those who have disabilities or reasons that prevent them from being at the poles in person. Some states require a specific reason, while others do not, depending on the level of repression that those in power wish to exercise.
Also be prepared for minor inconveniences. Some states are passing laws that make it a crime to offer someone food or water while they are staying in line. This is often a very local problem as staffing of some precincts are understaffed. These are often in precincts with large minority populations. This is in contrast to states that offer all mail in voting where every registered voter is delivered their ballot and can mail it back.
Also note that there are postal requirements that may require a ballot to be postmarked prior to a certain date or to be received by them by a certain date. Always be mindful of this and do not hesitate to comply.
Many states offer early registration to those who will be eighteen by election day. Check to see if this allows you to do so.
Some states allow for same day registration even for early voting. Again, see if you qualify to do this. If you have missed the registration day, do not delay until it is too late to do it in the next election. Take action and become registered at your earliest possible time, then take the responsibility to exercise your civic responsibility.
Notice to voters: pay strict diligence. Follow all instructions to a tee, whether voting in person or other method.
- Make sure that you have proper identification before you vote
- Be sure that all addresses match
- Ensure that it is current
- If there are instructions on mail in ballots, practice before filling out the ballot
- Make sure that you sign in the correct place
- Use the proper color ink (remember there are people looking for reasons to disqualify your ballot)
- If a witness is required, ensure that you follow these details strictly
- If the ballot requires a notary, do it with strict attention to detail
- If using a drop box, ensure that it is the correct one
In other words, do not do anything that may disqualify your sacred right to vote and be heard.
If you do not vote, you do not matter. Politicians consider people who vote and take seriously their concerns. Why waste time, effort and money on people who do not care enough to vote?
Honor your ancestors fight to vote, respect yourself enough to actually vote and consider the importance of voting for future generations.
Some resources. Keep in mind that this is a small list and specific information can be obtained by searching for your governmental entity, such as city, county, or state. Information fights ignorance.
https://www.usa.gov/how-to-vote
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
https://www.usa.gov/absentee-voting
Make the most of your opportunity to vote, if you do not exercise your right, it will dissolve over time. Preserve this sacred right for your future and that of your community, friends, and relatives. Future generations are depending on you. You can make a change by exercising your right. If you are inconvenienced by the process, it is even more important to vote and elect people that are of the same mind and heart as you. Remember, if the quality of the candidates is not up to your standards, consider running yourself. Do not wait or depend on someone else to do what you should be doing.
This post is part 4 of a mini-series, to see the other parts, use the following links
Part 1 – A Voting Tutorial, Click here
Part 2 – Voter Suppression, Click here
Part 3 – Voter Gerrymandering, Click here
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To see the full listing of post (over 250 and counting), click on our Blog list
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