Long lines. Limited polling places. Polling places that have moved. A complex voter ID system. Those things didn’t happen in Washington, DC. Policies surrounding voter suppression have popped up in American state houses nationwide, and as many discovered yesterday they can create real issues of concern for voters. Whether the state doing voter suppression is Texas, North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas, or anywhere else, the way in which this practice is occurring doesn’t involve a national party, the US Senator or House, or even the presidency. Republicans, you see, are managing to make voting difficult in the body of government they have increasing control over: US State Houses.
Last night, Senator Sanders addressed this issue, referring to governors who instill such policies as “cowards”, but words won’t solve the problem. In order to successfully sue in a state, a resident must have standing and cause; which means national parties and operatives are often shut out of making real change. No, what we need is far more simple: we need a lot more Democratic voters showing up in state and local races and making real change in state houses.
Catching governments who have engaged in practices that do violate the law is rarely rewarding. Despite calls from candidate supporters, there is no legal mechanism to “undo” a vote, instead, states make recompense later.
thinkprogress.org/…
Fulton County, Georgia admitted to illegally disenfranchising and misleading voters in the 2008 and 2012 elections in a settlement this month. For more than two dozen violations of state law — including improperly rejecting eligible ballots and sending voters to the wrong precincts — the county will pay a fine of $180,000. To make sure the problems do not continue in the future, the county has promised to spend an additional $200,000 on new training software for their poll workers.
The right to vote is something we all, everyone, no matter who you support values. It is a right that is being rapidly undermined by Republican led state houses who create new voter ID rules, move polling places, and create fear in the public that the vote is somehow fraudulent. These are all tools being used in Republican controlled state houses nationwide.
There is, in fact, only one real solution to this problem: more work to vote for, elect, and promote democrats at the state and local level. As more state houses become Republican controlled, the harder it will be to stop or blunt such legislation. It becomes whack-a-mole and new legislation is approved, passed, and made into law. Yes, they will face legal challenge. But as some have pointed out: the states are willing to keep paying the legal bills to fight the challenges and if there are enough of them passing legislation, they can stretch local advocates pretty thin while they build up their majorities in the bodies that write bills.
So what can we do?
If you’re thinking about donating some money to a candidate today, consider strongly your most local candidate, the person running for office in your state house. Inform your friends & neighbors of your intent to support you local Democratic candidate. Try volunteering. Is no one running near you and you have interest: run for office.
There is a solution for Arizona. North Carolina. Idaho. Utah. Georgia, and likely your state. And that solution is a man or woman running in your district, powered by small money and local activism.
Unsure of how to help? Tomorrow night we’ll have a Crowdsourcing the 50 State Strategy update on how candidates in: Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Georgia and elsewhere are looking for some help — the kind of thing you can do from home if you’re willing and have the skills.
We can change things; but we need to look at Arizona and other states as a sign the need for change is important.. not just in DC, but far closer to home.