Since Reconstruction ended a century and a half ago, the white power structure, particularly in the South but in other states as well, have used various mechanisms to try and suppress black and minority voting. Initially, those in power were conservative white Democrats, but over the last half century they have been supplanted by conservative white Republicans. Starting with poll taxes and threats to black voters by the KKK, it has morphed into gerrymandering, voter ID laws, purging of voter rolls of minority citizens and making voting more difficult for blacks. This was achieved by decreasing the number of polling places in black neighborhoods and cutting the number of hours polling places were open. And any slight deviation from the registration forms and the voter’s ID would immediately disqualify that voter.
In this era of the Corona virus, where people are afraid of contact with strangers, one would have thought that attempts to make the voting process easier and faster, and remotely when possible, would have been pushed by politicians. Instead, President Trump and the Republicans have been trying to make voting as difficult as they can. Trump has said on numerous occasions that voting by mail would increase fraud without providing any proof of this and the Republicans have followed his lead. With many people housebound or reluctant to come out and wait on line, especially older voters, voting remotely by mail would seem to make perfect sense. And there is no reason to think that mail voting would encourage fraud. But Trump and the Republicans do not want to make voting easier for blacks and minorities, for then they would be more likely to vote. Actually, voting by mail with a paper ballot as a record of everyone’s vote would appear to make it less likely that fraud would occur.
But it is not just Republican politicians who are suppressing votes. Citizen’s apathy is also playing a role. (From new book- The Uninformed Voter.)- Many Americans are uninterested in voting and lack knowledge of the candidates and issues for which they should be casting their ballots. There are a number of reasons voters are devoid of information about the government, candidates and issues in the United States. A critical factor is the absence of national standards in the schools seeking proficiency in history and civics. And lack of civic knowledge due to deficient education is connected to a decrease in voting, volunteering, and more distrust of government among younger citizens. A decline in the quality of journalism in America also contributes, where there are attempts at false equivalency regarding the ideas of the two parties: ie the reality of global warming and its effects on the planet vs denial and support for fossil fuels. The proliferation of online news sites spewing fake news also advances political ignorance. And political advertising may confuse Americans. It is estimated the Koch brothers spent from $300 to $400 million dollars promoting their political ideas in the 2018 election cycle, up from about $250 million in 2016. A Bloomberg Poll in 2015 revealed that 78 percent of respondents wanted the Supreme Court to turn off the spigot of political spending.
In addition, since many voters believe their votes are inconsequential, it may be considered rational for them not to spend their time learning about government and politics. And it is likely that most of these voters do not analyze the reasons why they are uninformed. Though America is seen by much of the world as the prototype of an advanced democracy, many of its citizens are disinterested or lazy when it comes to vetting the candidates they support and understanding important issues. Tribal allegiance often replaces information. The ignorance of the electorate is actually breathtaking when Americans are asked questions about politics, history, geography, and current events. Thus uninformed and misinformed voters and those who neglect to vote because of apathy are responsible for the nation’s dysfunctional government.
It would seem that with or without the Corona virus pandemic, voting by mail would be the preferred method, making it easier for everyone so that a higher percentage of citizens would vote, and lessening the incidence of fraud. But we must remember that Trump and the Republicans do not want more people to vote, particularly minorities who would be more likely to vote for Democratic candidates. Universal voting by mail will eventually happen but it may take a while.
The Uninformed Voter
www.robertlevinebooks.com
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Posted at 10:11 AM in 2016 election, 2018 elections, Citizens United, Corruption, Covid 19, Corona virus, Current Affairs, Disease Prevention, Donald Trump, election rigging, Election theft, , gerrymandering, Immigration, narcissism, Nationalism, pandemic, partisanship, Police brutality, Politics, populism, Republican Party, stories, lies, fake news, Trump administration, Voter ID laws, Voter Suppression | Permalink
Tags: citizen apathy, Corona virus, gerrymandering, remote voting, vote by mail, voter ID, voter suppression
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020