2024 Presidential Election Advocacy Part 1- Unlawful Disenfranchisement: How Voter Suppression Has Been Used Against Marginalized Groups
With the upcoming election in mind, I always thought it strange that the United States could, in theory, be governed by a television character, though I suppose that’s what makes it special. If a person hates all candidates, they could instead choose to vote for Mickey Mouse- or any entity for that matter- and it most certainly isn’t against the law.
As superfluous as I make it sound, in reality the right to choose representatives and not be forced is a gift granted by the rights of suffrage fought for by generations past. As a representative democracy, the American people are given the right to vote and participate in various political elections when they are 18. Though the fact remains that the people are the “fountain of power”, to quote James Madison’s political ideology, in our current society a significant amount of politicians use voter suppression to further their interests. This is not only unconstitutional but a blatant abuse of the people’s rights. The right to vote is the most imperative and irreplaceable aspect of the United States democratic freedoms as it grants all people a voice, it is the ability to influence and control the future of society. Blatantly, it is power. Yet it is something that is being denied to the American people, specifically the African American community.
From Free Speech For People
A gross subversion of our system, voter suppression unfairly denies mainly Black American citizens from voting through underhanded methods. The Sentencing Project did a study that found that 1 in every 19 African Americans is disenfranchised- a number 3.5 times that of non black Americans. Voter suppression can take many forms such as: voter intimidation, where a person is threatened not to vote or when propaganda is spread; gerrymandering, where people in power will change district lines to give themselves an upper hand; unnecessary tests and identification processes at polling stations, commonly, people of color will have to conduct extra ID tests or provide extra paperwork putting them at a disadvantage. There are numerous other examples but the message is clear: voter suppression plays an essential part in stripping away people’s rights and it’s crucial that a solution is found.
NPR interviewed Black populous communities in Atlanta, Georgia to find that polling lines were averaged at 5 hours long. In addition, polling places were strategically closed to discourage black voters from participating. A form of suppression stemming from indirect racism, it may seem uninfluential but looking at the ‘larger scope’ it has far more impacts than immediately obvious. voter suppression targets underserved communities of BIPOC people, these are the same places and people which have been discriminated against throughout American History. It is a circular system perpetuating the deprivation of rights, yet it is so far ingrained that many do not recognize the actions being taken against them. In places with weakened economies, the increased wait times can deter enough to diminish the votes of that area. To reference the Preamble, it’s critical to“establish Justice” as the people deserve to reclaim their rights as stated, without the grievance of discrimination and disreputable strategies. Being an American, one is lucky enough to be given the freedom to participate in government decisions. It is vital to stop dismissing the precious rights granted and fight back for enfranchisement
From Texas Monthly
To be continued in the next post!