How to Kick Off 2022 Midterms with Fair Elections
July 17, 2022
Do you remember that dreadful sound from November 2018? The sound of tired, frustrated voters driving away from long lines at voting precincts.
2018-georgia-elections
Photo courtesy of: ajc.com
The elimination of thousands of registered voters from voter rolls. Or the sound of legislative officials relishing in their efforts to suppress the votes of minority groups.
Don't you wish there were a way we could put an end to all voter suppression tactics once and for all? Well, it's not going to happen overnight, but there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Fair Fight Action, to the rescue! In this post, we will address alleged suppression tactics in previous elections, services the Fair Fight Action organization has provided to rectify the problem, and four ways to promote fair elections this November 2022.
Fair-Fight-Action-Leaders
What Went Wrong in 2018?
* Voting by mail has become more pervasive in recent years. In November 2018, however, thousands of absentee ballots were either misplaced or not counted, which disproportionately impacted voters of color.
Vote by Mail
Photo courtesy of: npr.org
* Unbeknownst to most citizens in Georgia, 1.6 million voters were removed from voter rolls, which prevented them from voting in the midterm elections. Some of the reasons behind voter purging were if voters had either relocated to a new address, or had not voted in a certain number of years.
Voter-Purging
Photo courtesy of: usatoday.com
* Approximately 30,000 registered voters were instructed to vote via provisional ballots, although a majority of these ballots went unrecorded.
Top Four ways to promote fair elections
1.) If you or someone you know has experienced voter suppression, empower one another to speak out and educate others across the country about the injustice. By acknowledging the issue and examining the root causes, we are better equipped to make improvements.
2.) Write letters or meet with your local elected officials and encourage them to implement legislation to help deter voter suppression measures. After all, your voice matters and your leaders represent you.
3.) By getting involved with Fair Fight Action, you can help thousands of young voters and voters of color register to vote. It is best to help get voters registered months in advance in order to avoid any potential conflict when elections come around.
4.) Help out in your own community by volunteering to work at voting precincts.
Part of Fair Fight Action's objective in raising awareness to voter suppression is also providing strategies as to how people in all states may get involved to help resolve the problem and make a positive difference. All people should be able to exercise their right to vote, regardless of race/ethnicity, age, social class, etc.
Remember, our vote is our power, which means that a fair election is a victorious election.
Three keywords: promote fair elections, voters of color, and register to vote
