Surprise!
Are you registered? Are you sure?
Don’t get a nasty surprise on Election Day. Voter suppression doesn’t have to be MAGA thugs with guns patrolling the polls. Even more effective is the quiet removal of voters from the registration rolls.
We’ve seen it again and again: when there’s high voter turn-out, Democrats win. Low voter turn-out—as we had in 2022, when overconfidence and apathy in New York State lost Democrats multiple House races—is when the bad guys win.
So in this election, when Democrat enthusiasm seems strong, Republicans have been moving heaven and earth to prevent voter registration and voter turnout. Just one of countless examples, the Trump campaign and Republican Party are suing the state of Michigan to prevent Veteran Affairs offices and other federal offices from offering voter registration.
As Jay Kuo puts it, “This time around, Republicans are preemptively creating legal challenges to the way votes are counted and the way elections are held in the various states. They don’t want to be behind the curve and filing frantically come election day. There are DOZENS of lawsuits out there trying to muck things up ahead of the election. But our courts, so far, are largely holding the line.”
One of the sneakiest ways to suppress the vote is to “update” —i.e. purge—voter registration rolls. So it can’t be said often enough, especially if you live in a swing state: check your registration. I’m not in a swing state, but I did it anyway— just went straight to the horse’s mouth and called the nice lady at my county Board of Elections. If you check on-line, Vote.gov is a good site, and once you’ve confirmed that you’re registered, you can keep a record—a dated screen shot. Just in case.
The other issue is ID. What are the requirements are in your state? They may not be as simple as you think. For example, in New York State you do not need ID to vote. Great! Unless, when you filled out a paper registration form, you did not include either your driver’s license number, or the last four digits of your social security number. In that case, you DO need to present ID.
In North Carolina, this is the first election where ID will be required. A very sneaky and effective technique for voter suppression. Many a voter will show up at the polls, be told they need ID, and say, “Oh, the hell with it,” and not bother to come back. Or if it’s late in the afternoon on Election Day, there may not be time. In a win for voters, Democrats were able to get approval for most (but not all) college IDs to be accepted as valid ID.
I’ve decided that the most useful way I can volunteer in the final days (cue ominous music) is to sign up with the Harris campaign to be a poll observer in a swing state. They provide training—a 90 minute Zoom—and then you tell them when and where you’re available. I’m only doing two days—the last day of early voting, and Election Day. Those are the most crucial since any problems of missing ID or whatever will need to be resolved immediately. And I’m only doing one shift a day, sorry, 12 hours is too much.
I don’t have to do anything, really, other than keep an eye on a particular polling place. I can answer voters’ questions about IDs or other issues. If there are problems, I just text the local Democratic headquarters and stay out of the way. But I think it will be…interesting. And I hope helpful in a small way.
Okay, deep breaths. These are stressful times, for sure. But lower your stress a little by making sure that you’re registered, and everyone you know is, too.
Dear Friends,
Are you worried about the election of 2024 and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.
Every week I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.
Together, I think, we could really make a difference.
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”
--Noam Chomsky
We can do it again!