Easy voting with Integrity

Making it easy for eligible people to have access to registration and voting are both important. This includes legal physical and access. Once they have access, their registration, and their votes, also need to be properly gathered and/or counted. Failure to do so will disenfranchise them.

Easy voting requires responsible behavior within the system. We cannot deny eligible people the right to vote, but we cannot make it so easy to vote so as to allow ineligible people to vote, because ineligible voters cancel out the votes of legitimate voters. It is a balancing act, and this issue is the source of most election law arguments.

What are the ways that voters can be prevented from voting or are disenfranchised?

Voter disenfranchisement refers to the denial or restriction of the right to vote, which can occur in a variety of ways. Some of the ways that voters can be disenfranchised include:

Voter suppression: This can include practices such as voter intimidation, misleading information, or the closure of polling places in areas with a high population of minority or low-income voters.

Failing to count votes cast: Failing to properly count votes can happen due to human error, technical malfunction, or malicious intent. This can result in votes not being counted, or in the wrong candidate being declared the winner. This can lead to disenfranchisement of the voters whose votes were not counted or were counted incorrectly.

Allowing ineligible voters: Allowing ineligible voters to vote, such as those who are not citizens or are not registered to vote, can also lead to disenfranchisement. This can occur due to poor voter registration processes, lack of proper identification or verification, or malicious intent. This can lead to the cancellation of legitimate votes, as ineligible voters’ ballots may be counted.

Voter ID laws: Laws that require voters to present certain types of identification in order to vote can disenfranchise voters who do not have the required ID, particularly low-income or minority voters who may have difficulty obtaining it.

Residency requirements: Laws that require voters to have lived in an area for a certain length of time in order to vote can disenfranchise people who have recently moved or are homeless.

Voter purges: The process of removing names from voter rolls can disenfranchise eligible voters who are wrongly removed.

Felony disenfranchisement: Laws that restrict the voting rights of people with felony convictions can disenfranchise a significant portion of the population, particularly in communities of color where incarceration rates are higher.

Restrictive voter registration requirements: Laws that impose strict voter registration requirements, such as requiring notarization or proof of citizenship, can disenfranchise eligible voters who face barriers to completing these requirements.

Long lines and waits: Long lines and waits at polling places can discourage some voters from casting their ballots, particularly those who have to work or have other obligations during the day.

Discrimination: Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability can also disenfranchise voters.

It’s important to note that disenfranchisement can happen through intentional or unintentional actions, and it’s crucial to have mechanisms in place to prevent and detect it, as well as to ensure that every eligible voter has an equal opportunity to participate in elections.

The Power of Voting

A man without a vote is a man without protection. ― Lyndon B. Johnson

We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate. ― Thomas Jefferson

If we don’t vote, we are ignoring history and giving away the future. ― Pat Michell