What is Voter Suppression?
By Sierra Courchesne
America houses suppression. Whether it is acknowledged or not, it is there and there with power strong enough to bar the voices of the American people. It abounds with sly maneuvers sanctioned by laws that oppress the voices of voters, oftentimes widening the race and age gap in politics. All for the sake of manipulating political agendas and pushing for skewed ideologies. Effectiveness and justice are expected in a democracy. They are expected to be present and expected to be enforced. Not overlooked and promoted by the very leaders guaranteeing and preaching equal treatment under the American flag. Thus, the simple acknowledgement of America’s faults is the first step towards direct political action, action that starts with the outspoken voices of the next generation of policymakers and voters, doctors and farmers. Everyone, from every demographic, every precinct and every race, every ethnicity and every address number, deserves the right. The basic, the foundational and non negotiable right to vote and to vote with pride and with individual freedom.
VOTER ID LAWS
There are dozens of such forms of voter suppression ranging from long lines to failing to pre-register 17 year olds to vote. All forms matter and all deserve attention. Some of the most prominent and commonly executed methods of suppression are law-bound, government- mandated perpetuations of inequality. Strict voter ID laws are such methods that disenfranchise immigrants (who have become citizens) and those in lower income brackets. Commonly, the cost of acquiring a photo ID or the documents that accompany it discourages people from accessing this fundamental form of identification. As a result, 21 million U.S. citizens are without government-issued photo IDs and are subsequently prohibited to vote in the 36 states that require identification at the polls. Every vote adds up and every vote matters in the tight sphere that is politics. Since it is the politics of the people, the politics of our culture that is being toyed with, recognizing that “ Voter ID laws have been estimated by the U.S. Government Accountability Office to reduce voter turnout by 2-3 percentage points, translating to tens of thousands of votes lost in a single state”(American Civil Liberties Union) is vital in order to make the power of those thousands impactful. Along with low-income families and marginalized immigrants, those separated by a physical divide are less likely to override the barrier for the sake of a photo ID; individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and those residing in rural areas are all deeply impacted by such voter ID legislation.
GERRYMANDERING
Underhanded methods of sectioning electoral constituency (also known as election districts- a subdivision of the state that functions as a means to provide the populace with a representative in the state legislative body; akin to voting units) boundaries in uneven ways with racially or partisanly driven motives has taken on the form of gerrymandering. Put simply, it turns the majority into the minority. District lines are redrawn based on population data from the U.S. census, data that should be used to devise electoral district boundaries that encompass an equal representation of races, classes, and party affiliations. However, this data is often exploited, leading lines to be redrawn every 10 years with malintent. In theory, equal representation in districts will churn out a representative in Congress or the state legislature that mirrors the values of the population. This is not always the case due to gerrymandering- free will is suppressed in such acts of manipulation. Minorities- in race or party- are disadvantaged and automatically washed out by the powerful selfish few of our nation.
FAILURE TO PRE-REGISTER YOUTH TO VOTE
The highly transient nature of the lives of youth ages 16-29 has increased the problem of “convoluted voter registration processes, including arbitrary registration deadlines, confusing registration requirements, and logistical hoops”(Center for American Progress) that stunts the voter registration process. Along with moving due to college and burgeoning job opportunities, youth are often disincentivized to pre-register to vote due to the archaic, twisted reputation that stands for the process. Scarce information on registration technicalities and social stigmas have perverted the norms surrounding voting, surrounding the privilege some are fortunate enough to possess. Reform measures such as Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) are being pushed for to increase the presence of youth in elections. In AVR, every eligible citizen that interacts with a government agency is automatically registered to vote. To give equal representation to all generations and all changing mentalities. Although this new program could hold unprecedented drawbacks, it is nonetheless collective action that bolsters basic rights. So if you are able, if you are able to act on this precious freedom, use your power and vote.
For a comprehensive list of 61 forms of voter suppression visit Voting Rights Alliance:
https://www.votingrightsalliance.org/forms-of-voter-suppression
To pre-register to vote:
https://myschoolvotes.whenweallvote.org/sandiegoteam
https://www.votingrightsalliance.org/forms-of-voter-suppression
To pre-register to vote:
https://myschoolvotes.whenweallvote.org/sandiegoteam
Podcast episode can be found here.
Sierra Courchesne is a senior at Point Loma High School and member of the When We All Vote - My School Votes club which seeks to pre-register youth to vote with the intent to close the age and race gap in politics.
Sources:
Sierra Courchesne is a senior at Point Loma High School and member of the When We All Vote - My School Votes club which seeks to pre-register youth to vote with the intent to close the age and race gap in politics.
Sources: