We’re just three weeks away from the end of the horror show that is the 2016 American election season, and I for one can’t wait. But before then, it continues to be imperative to convince folks that voting for Donald Trump would be a huge mistake. Today, let’s talk about voter fraud, and voter intimidation.
In recent years, Republicans around the country have passed laws aimed at making it tougher to vote. The reason given for these laws is that we must crack down on voter fraud. The problem with these claims is that voter fraud is so rare as to be non-existent.
Meanwhile, after studying how various groups voted, North Carolina Republicans eliminated voting options favored by those who support opponents. For instance, after learning that voters of color disproportionally make use of early voting, its availability was greatly reduced. On the other hand, elderly voters who lean Republican use absentee voting more than most, and so it was left untouched. This is all simply shameful.
Now, Donald Trump has entered the fray. A spokesman for his campaign was quoted by Time saying they hope for low voter turnout, as it would favor Trump:
“We have no problems going deeper into the mud,” the adviser said. “A low-turnout election is better for us.”
If low turnout is good for you, you should re-think your whole campaign, and possibly your whole life. Democracy is about hearing from as many eligible voters as possible. Anyone who opposes that is headed right down the path toward tyranny.
More recently, Trump has repeatedly whined both broadly and non-specifically about the upcoming election being rigged. Is the election rigged? No! While there are justifiable concerns about things like paperless voting machines and the aforementioned legal changes which have made voting more difficult, America still has one of the most transparent election processes in the world. No one is going to steal the presidency from Donald Trump. He’s simply going to lose it on his own.
Of course, that only happens if all those who oppose Trump make it to the polls on November 8th. We must all refuse to be intimidated by Trump’s fear-mongering attempts at voter intimidation. His racist dog-whistle language must not be enough to swing the election in his favor. Make sure you’re registered to vote, then vote, and help others vote as well.
Register To Vote
Today (October 18th) is the last day to register in Oregon, Kansas, Minnesota, Florida (after multiple extensions, this is really last call), West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Maine. Tomorrow (October 19th) is the last day to register in Wisconsin, and my home state of Massachusetts. Get more information at https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote.
