The Nov. 3 federal election day is nearly upon us. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said in an interview, “Every day we find new things to be astonished about but I think that we just want residents to not be afraid to vote because that’s ultimately what the president was after.”
I suggest, that rather than feeding our anxiety, we approach the polling place as an adventurous process to assure the health and wellbeing of our democracy, as well as voting for the candidates who will best serve the citizens and the country. Yes, the Trump administration has sought to bend the U.S. election system to the president’s will across multiple fronts. Potential scenarios range from armed federal personnel deploying at the polls to seeking to inspect the ballots. However, these antics should not deter voting but make it more important than ever to vote.
The threats to election systems are constantly evolving. Recently, FEMA published an effort to control the election process by offering a funding opportunity to make over $1 billion of taxpayer funds available to state, tribal nations, territorial and local governments.
However, these funds come with a price. Recipients must take “five critical steps” to be eligible for a grant. States must submit a plan for using voting equipment that accepts hand-marked paper ballots. States must conduct a manual audit of at least 5% of all ballots cast. States are required to reconcile the number of voters with the number of ballots cast. States must use the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to verify the citizenship status of everyone listed in the state voter registration database. And, finally, states must verify the citizenship of anyone working at polling places or operating election systems.
We must not let this Trump government paranoia infect our trust in the election process. Voter rolls are guided by the Fourteenth Amendment: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States.”
The National Conference of States Legislatures reports, “There is no evidence of significant numbers of noncitizens appearing on voter rolls or casting ballots. Audits of voter lists … have indicated that extremely small numbers of noncitizens become registered to vote. When this does happen, election officials report it is often based on a misunderstanding of the law—especially for anyone who has limited English proficiency.”
Although it will not pass in time for the November election, support for the America Votes Act, submitted by U.S. Representative Rick Larson, will make voting more accessible and just in the future. The Act would establish new federal protections for registered voters to affirm their identity by submitting a sworn, written statement, even if they do not have a government-issued ID. Voters who sign a sworn, written statement can vote using a standard, non-provisional ballot. The country’s democracy depends upon an open system where all citizens have a voice at the ballot box.
At this juncture in the political life of the country, where divisiveness seems to reign, it may feel that voting is meaningless. Extreme positions on both the left and the right, the glut of money flowing through the campaigns, and the influence of a few billionaires threaten to disenfranchise the citizen vote.
However, both in primaries and in the general election, each vote does matter. For example, The Indiana Supreme Court declared Spencer Deery as a Republican primary winner over a President Donald Trump-endorsed challenger. 5. And the closest election in Senate history was decided in New Hampshire: In 1974, Republican Louis Wyman went against Democrat John Durkin and led to a contest that lasted eight months and came down to a margin of victory of just two votes. 6.
Therefore, plan to vote on Nov. 3. Ignore the campaign fliers and advertisements, except for name recognition. Ignore the plethora of negative ads that flood the media. Seek out information about candidates from sources that are trustworthy. Evaluate evidence concerning how candidates processes information, how they reason, and how they interact with colleagues and with the electorate, how well they listen. And then consider their stands on issues. Take what is learned to the polls and vote. Also, accompany the vulnerable voter. Know that each of us is part of the body politic in a democracy that has lasted for 250 years.
John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Folk Rocker in his Concord home, Minds Crossing.