Voting in America has a long, sordid history of discrimination. African Americans were prohibited from voting until the year 1869, when the Fifteenth Amendment was passed. Women were prohibited from voting until the year 1919, during the Womens’ Right Movement, after Susan B. Anthony and many others fought to pass the Nineteenth Amendment.
Although progress has been made, there are still many injustices that need to be reformed to make voting fair and accessible for all. There are still people out there who want to miscount or misrepresent our votes. Our most powerful tool coming up this election season is obtaining knowledge to continue to fight these injustices.
First, there are still territories apart of the United States that are being taxed by the U.S government and have to abide by U.S laws but are not allowed the right to vote in federal elections, such as Puerto Rico, Guam and others. It is crazy to think that in the 21st century groups of people are still being marginalized and forced to deal with taxation without representation.
Next, gerrymandering is a huge ongoing problem. After every U.S. Census, states create new boundaries for legislative districts that are supposed to reflect the population. Gerrymandering is the process of political parties redrawing the legislative districts to benefit them.
This practice is unethical and discriminates against voters because of factors including race, socioeconomic status and political parties. Districts with a high percentage of people of color are oftentimes falling victim to gerrymandering as a tactic to discount their votes.
Another problem is that with the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence, images and information that we view online have been manipulated and can oftentimes show a distorted view of reality. From false headlines to edited pictures, disinformation is being spread online constantly. As voters and future voters, it is important to start educating ourselves on the content we are consuming and instead of believing everything we see developing tools to help us determine fact versus fiction.
Arguably, the most controversial issue regarding voting as of now are photo ID laws. 36 out of the 50 states require voters to show a driver’s license or state identification card before putting in their vote. Supporters of voter ID laws say they are trying to combat voter fraud, but instituting these types of restrictions does more harm than good.
According to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice, “Extensive research reveals that fraud is very rare, voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent and many instances of alleged fraud are, in fact, mistakes by voters or administrators.” What these laws are actually doing is prohibiting people from voting because they don’t have these forms of identification in their possession.
OPRF civics teacher Matthew Maloney said, “Experts would argue that voting and the ballot are foundations and bedrocks of our democracy. Throughout our nation’s history, different generations have risked their lives and livelihoods to guarantee that every American has this integral power.” He added that “voter ID law would disproportionately impact lower income neighborhoods and keep citizens from exercising their fundamental right to cast a ballot for the candidate of their choosing.”
Voting should be easy and accessible for anyone who wants to participate, and laws such as these create obstacles for people simply trying to exercise their right as an American citizen.
Overall, the most important tip to keep in mind coming into election season is to stay informed. There are so many outside factors that can be used to dissuade people from participating in elections, but I cannot stress enough every vote matters.
Do your research, stay informed and keep your eyes peeled for any false information. Voting is all about the individual; make sure this election season OPRF students are informed and feel empowered walking into or following the polls.
