Can we talk about voting?

For many people, voting is a mildly inconvenient, but important obligation. But for others, voting is nearly impossible. Consider…

• A mom working two jobs who must drive 40 miles to drop off her ballot because decision-makers closed all nearby polling centers.
• A houseless person who can’t pay for a birth certificate to get a voter ID because decision-makers use the difficulty of getting ID to deter economically-struggling voters
• An older person or disabled person who has to leave the voting line after waiting two hours in the heat because decision-makers use discomfort to keep voters away.
• A person of color who feels concerned about meeting hostile people in and outside their polling place because of vocal racists intimidating their community.

Voting in the US is getting harder

Since its founding, our nation’s leaders have suppressed the voices of many people–including women, formerly enslaved people, Indigenous people, immigrating people, and young adults–by restricting who can vote.

Voter suppression hurts Americans in ways that are racist, ageist, classist, and ableist. Today’s suppression strategies–voter purges, wasteful recounts, and the “dogma of voter fraud“–are the same old discrimination in more sophisticated clothing.

It’s strategic

The anti-voting decision-makers in our nation would like democracy as we know it to end. In January of this year, Heritage Action for America created a blueprint for voter suppression in Georgia.

Since then, elected leaders have introduced over 400 new laws and policies in 48 states seeking to prevent people from voting. These laws are spun as “election security” efforts that play to people’s fears that our nation’s elections aren’t secure. In reality, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed that “the November 3 [2020] election was the most secure in American history.” These laws only have one purpose.

As Stacey Abrams explained, “What has happened is that you have a new American majority…comprised of people of color, millennials and Gen Z, unmarried white women, and progressives…who have all aligned themselves on the side of certain issues. And the only way to stop those issues from gaining primacy and gaining voice is voter suppression.”

Simply said

Our elected leaders are working strategically to silence their constituents—especially those who are Black, Indigenous, Latine and Hispanic, working poor, elderly, disabled, houseless, or incarcerated. Our neighbors. Us.

As people of conscience, we oppose voter suppression

We believe that every person should have easy access to the voting process. Voting gives every citizen the ability to make their priorities known at all levels of government. Voter suppression is the very opposite of democracy.

For millions of people around the country, getting to the polls is being made harder, more restrictive, and even intimidating.

Expand voting access, curtail voter oppression

For these reasons and many more, Americans of Conscience Checklist includes actions to oppose voter suppression and expand voting access.

Midterms 2022 are likely to be the most important election in our lifetime. We are asking you to commit to showing up for your neighbors who are being shut out of this core democratic process.

Creating a better future

If you were to get more involved, take up the torch of past voting rights heroes. Join us in the tedious but essential work of insisting on free, accessible voting for every person. In every Americans of Conscience Checklist, we offer clear, powerful actions in support of that goal.

We cover actions that any American can complete (and have several in this week’s edition!). We also suggest that you also engage on a state level by contacting your local ACLU, League of Women Voters, or other voting-rights organization for local actions. Remember: 48 states have proposed or enacted voter suppression laws. We have work to do.

Speak up

Want to take action to expand voting right now? Open this week’s Americans of Conscience Checklist and complete our top three actions:

• Encouraging passage of the Freedom to Vote Act (new!), the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4), and Democracy Restoration Act (S. 481).
• Urging the President to protect every person’s freedom to vote.
• Supporting our neighbors who need ID to vote and can’t afford it.

Then reward yourself with the long list of good news for voting, planet, and equality!

Open this week’s Checklist! https://americansofconscience.com/09-17-2021/

Warmly,
Jen Hofmann
Americans of Conscience Checklist, Founder

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