|
Only have a minute? Listen instead
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Texas officials, all Republicans, continue their efforts to hinder voting as much as possible in order to increase Donald Trump’s chances to win in November.
In addition to questionable purges of voter rolls by the secretary of state’s office that came so close to the election that qualified voters might not even know they’ve been dropped until it’s too late to re-register, Attorney General Ken Paxton has tried to stop cities and counties from making voter registration forms more accessible, including placing them in more venues and mailing them to prospective voters.
He’s also vowed to fight a federal court ruling that said he can’t prevent community organizations and volunteers from offering rides, translators and other assistance to voters, which the court ruled is an obstruction of a constitutional right.
Meanwhile, conservative organizations in other Republican-dominated states themselves are utilizing, and encouraging, the very actions Texas officials are trying to prevent.
Conservative Christian churches in California and elsewhere, for example, have been conducting their own voter registration drives, and encouraging members to bring mail-in and absentee ballots to the church for collection rather than trust the mail to get them to the election offices.
At the same time, other conservative leaders apparently seek to undermine public confidence in the entire elections process. Many still refuse to accept the results of the 2020 election, and aggressive rhetoric regarding the vote, defending the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on our nation’s Capitol, leave many worried similar violence might occur if the upcoming election doesn’t go their way.
All these actions, many of them contradictory, continue to destabilize a nation that needs reassurance that our most basic — and vital — cornerstone of democracy, free and fair elections, isn’t at risk of crumbling.
However, any weakening of the system of checks and balances that have served our country so well for more than two centuries would cause severe harm to, and destabilize, all our political institutions. The kinds of aggressive language, and even threats of violence, that have sullied our national discourse in recent years are concerning, and have no place in a nation that for so long been the world’s example for rational discourse and relatively seamless transfers of authority after each election.
It’s enough to scare some people away from the entire political process. That might even be what some people want.
But the remedy is exactly the opposite. These challenges should inspire, and even embolden, Americans to make sure they participate in the upcoming election. Sheer numbers should offset any illegitimate efforts to sway the vote.
Let us all pledge, then, to defend our democracy by casting our ballots, for any local, state and national candidates you wish. The last day to register to vote for the Nov. 5 election is Monday, Oct. 7. Early voting begins Oct. 21 and absentee ballots already can be requested from your county elections office.
Regardless of who ultimately wins, our elections should be legitimate and fair. Full participation is the best way to achieve that goal.
