Voter Suppression in 2020
January 2021 | Corryn Richardson, Staff Writer/Editor
In the United States, voting is not a privilege, it is a right. However, there have been violent tactics used in the past that consequently hindered many Americans’ votes. Although the Constitution did not initially include voting rights for all, Section 2 of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment states that “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”[1] While this was a step in the right direction, as society progresses, new contemporary oppressions must be addressed. Nevertheless, the federal government tried to handle the de jure, or in law, oppressions by adding the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, Nineteenth Amendment in 1920, and Twenty-Sixth Amendment in 1971. Yet these amendments did not halt the de facto, or in actual practice, tactics used to obstruct voting within the country seen in the 2020 election.
Voter suppression has presented itself in many forms throughout history, with voter intimidation as one of the most prevalent tactics used in order to discourage active voting. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was passed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, which was considered a huge victory as it outlawed discriminatory tactics used to stop many Black people from voting in the South.[2] As a result of this Act, voter turnout increased dramatically; however, studies show that there was still a large racial gap when it came to who was voting. The lingering fear of violence played a role in affecting the number of minorities expressing their right to vote. So, even though the purpose of this Act was to create a more equal platform for all voices to be heard, it was not entirely successful as some minorities still did not utilize their right to vote due to the previous intimidation.[3] This is significant to understand when analyzing contemporary discrimination because this was the beginning of the theme of continuity. Continuity is defined as an unbroken chain of events that are all connected through a period of time, and it is applicable to voter suppression because, throughout history, there were always tactics used to silence voices (i.e. Jim Crow laws). As time progresses, tactics progress to become more modern as well; hence, the strong theme of continuity. While de jure legislation made intimidation tactics illegal, the de facto aspect continued in creatively unjust ways.
The 2020 election had the highest voter turnout in modern politics, with over 160 million Americans voting in the election.[4] This election had a lot on the line for many Americans, as COVID-19 affected many Americans economically. With such high tensions and an ever polarized political environment, there was an absurd amount of voter intimidation this year. For example, in Pinellas County, Florida, there were two people standing armed outside of an early polling station, dressed as security guards.[5] The individuals told their local news station that they were hired by the Trump Administration Campaign; however, upon further investigation, those claims were found to be fraudulent. “The campaign did not hire these individuals nor did the campaign direct them to go to the voting location,” stated Thea McDonald, the deputy national press secretary for the Trump campaign.[6] But, although these individuals lied, they were not breaking the law as they were registered security guards for a Florida security company. Regardless, Michigan's Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson tried to ban openly carrying guns at polling locations as it is intimidating and uncomfortable for some citizens. However, a judge overruled her ban, allowing citizens to open carry at polling locations.[7] These two events are significant to compare as they show how the government took a passive role in these situations. Even though the two individuals from Florida were not breaking the law, it made citizens, such as Democratic candidate Trevor Mallory, uncomfortable at their own polling stations.[8] As a result, when officials such as Secretary Benson tried to create change in order to ensure everyone felt secure voting, higher government officials dismissed her case. Under these circumstances, people are more likely to be afraid to practice their right to vote, thus decreasing voter turnout.
Some may argue that since the 2020 election had the highest turnout, voter oppression has declined. For example, as minority groups were given the right to vote throughout history, voter turnout gradually increased. This makes sense in theory, however, with discourse becoming more polarized between political parties, citizens felt as though they had more to lose if they did not practice their right to vote. When asked about his reason for voting, Washington Post interviewee Dillan Dimas stated, “this is about preserving our democracy and keeping what little civics we have left. I’m so warped by everything that this feels like the last thing we have left to preserve civil society.”[9] In short, young people see American democracy deteriorating in front of them and thus feel responsible to vote in order to save their democracy. Another interviewee of the Washington Post, Sherry Browning, stated at the polls on Election Day, “if I die tomorrow, I did my duty.” This statement shows how dire people felt this election was and that they were willing to make any sacrifice in spite of voter intimidation. Despite this election having the highest voter participation, people felt as though it was their moral obligation to ensure that their vote counted, no matter the cost.
Unfortunately, it does not end there. With the Coronavirus ravaging much of the United States, US officials have set up ballot boxes. These are boxes set up in a multitude of locations throughout the country for voters to drop off their ballots in order to promote voter turnout amidst the safety concerns about physically entering polling locations. In October of 2020, many ballot boxes were set on fire.[10] These arsons only further promote the ill theme of continuity as we see continuous infringements on the people's right to vote. On October 18th, a ballot box located in Baldwin Park, CA that contained at least 100 filled out ballots was found burning. This area is known for its high concentration of minority groups, and thus it is believed that the ballot box being set on fire was an attack on minority votes. Supervisor of Los Angeles County, Hilda Solis, stated that the attack "has all the signs of an attempt to disenfranchise voters."[11] In addition, exactly a week later on October 25th, a second ballot box was set on fire in Boston. Luckily, of the 120 ballots, 87 were legible and able to be counted in the primary election. However, people should not be celebrating when 72% of votes are legible. These attacks are suppressive tactics used to instill fear into the public. These events are noteworthy because they allude to the theme of continuity once again as the attacks of the ballot boxes dissolve the confidence of these secure voting alternatives.
Voter suppression has been relentless throughout history, which is something that must change. The United States is supposed to be the home of the free and land of the brave; however, with political polarization leading to voter intimidation, American citizens are losing faith in our democracy. The de jure approach that the federal government took was not effective enough, as there is still de facto oppression that consequently affects voter turnout throughout the country. There is a moral responsibility to actively counter these oppressive tactics, with education as a top priority. People need to educate themselves and others about this nation’s history of voter suppression and how to vote in spite of discrimination. In addition, everyone should register to vote. This is the best way to refute all types of voter intimidation because when more people vote, more voices are heard; thus, the outcome would benefit the majority. There is no reason why voting should be infringed upon in contemporary elections, but considering the large margins of existing inequality, everyone should take action to end the continuation of voter suppression.
Sources
U.S. Constitution. amend. XXVI, sec. 2.
Georgetown. “A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States: Introduction.” Last modified 2020.
German Lopez, How the Voting Rights Act transformed black voting rights in the South, in one chart, (August 6, 2015).
James Lindsay, The 2020 Election By The Numbers (Council on Foreign Relations, 2020)
WFLA Channel 8. “Trump Spokesperson Says Armed Guards Outside St. Pete Polling Place Were Not Hired by Campaign.” October 22, 2020.
Ibid.
Egan, Paul. “Judge Strikes down Benson Order Banning Open Carry of Guns at Michigan Polling Places.” USA Today. October 27, 2020.
WFLA Channel 8. “Trump Spokesperson Says Armed Guards Outside St. Pete Polling Place Were Not Hired by Campaign.” October 22, 2020.
Hernandez, Arelis R. “A Barrier, an Inspiration, a Promise: America in Line.” The Washington Post. October 22 2020.
Terry Ellis, Nicquel. “Guns, Lies and Ballots Set on Fire: This Is Voter Suppression in 2020” USA Today. October 29, 2020.
Ibid.