Voting: a civil duty? Harm reduction? A democracy or democratic republic? The United States electoral college for the American presidency, created by a group of old, elitist, white men to prevent the majority’s tyranny and amplify smaller states’ voices, may make Americans feel like their vote is worthless. Nevertheless, in states where there is a historical tendency to favor one party over another, it is. And this is significantly worse in populous states like California, where the American’s voting power is roughly 3.5 times weaker than the voting power in Wyoming. However, despite the nuances and complexities of the electoral college system, voting is crucial for congressional, state, and local elections — and in swing states, the presidential elections are of most importance and significance.
Voting was not always a right granted under the Constitution. Various social movements across history attempted to establish voting as a right granted to all. During the Reconstruction Era, there was ratification and passing of the 15th amendment (right to vote despite race). De jure, African Americans who were forced into slavery were given the right to vote, but de facto, Jim Crow laws prevented them from doing so. The highly glorified Women’s suffrage movement was a step in the right direction, but that only allowed white women to vote and was essentially an element of the growing movement of white feminism (women of color were not able to vote until decades after). It was not until the Civil Rights Movement that racial disenfranchisement and government-sanctioned discrimination became de jure illegal, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed.
Moreover, even in modern America, we see stark voter suppression in predominantly Black areas where they are likely to wait longer than voters in white neighborhoods. Some may see voting now as support for, and extension of, the activism where many civilians fought decade-long battles in order to grant us the right to vote. It is what voting does to ensure policies like the Voting Rights Act pass, though there should not have been voter disenfranchisement in the first place. Although there is still a lot of progress to be made to ensure that equity is seen across the nation, especially when it comes to voting rights, it is crucial that those who have the opportunity and the privilege to do so.
These bodies of government create and pass legislation and ensure the cooperation and compatibility between the private sector and the public. In many cases, local and state governments matter even more. Amidst the pandemic, some governors and mayors across America, despite it being a national crisis, tried to contain the virus while others did not take the same safety measures. To those who did, their efforts proved the effectiveness of voting in non-federal elections and local governments’ legitimacy. They played the leading role between the virus and the health and safety of its citizens. For instance, San Francisco Mayor London Breed adopted medical experts’ recommendations to shut down the city early and enforce physical distancing. As a result, according to reports published by the New York Times, which track the patterns and latest case counts of COVID-19, San Francisco has one of the lowest death rates and infection rates per capita, compared to North Dakota, where the entire state has reached an infection rate of almost 6,000 per 100,000 residents as of November 1st, 2020.
As the corporate media loves to highlight midterm and general elections to stir up polarization within America, it may be surprising to know that elections happen every year at the local level. Voter turnout tends to be lower because there is much less coverage on these local elections than we get exposed to when the presidential elections arrive. The lack of coverage and marketing for local elections is potentially dangerous as there may not be an active governing body to represent their constituents accurately. In many ways, local governments affect citizens more than the presidential election. For instance, the federal minimum wage remains at an irrefutably, poverty-creating $7.25 per hour. However, cities across America implemented their own minimum wage. According to the Department of Labor for New York City, the state falls at a minimum wage of $15 per hour, while the county and city of San Francisco is $16.07 per hour and changes each year according to inflation. As minimum wage levels fall into the laps of local elected officials’ responsibilities, this reinforces the importance of voting, especially locally, as elected officials affect everyone everywhere.
Talk to those friends who “stay out of politics” or do not care about voting. Now is the time to convince those friends who usually stay out of politics or pay no attention to the ever-lasting changes that affect us as a whole. By talking to your friends about voting, you can help increase broader civic engagement. Topics like the minimum wage alone help low-income households pay for their necessities and gives college students a higher chance of being able to afford an education. If those same friends do not like any of the candidates, they still have the opportunity to vote for policies and propositions as their votes can still directly impact the issues they care about. Voting matters, even in the toxic bipartisan system and in the absence of the sought-after popular vote for presidential elections. These elected officials enact policy that could help give social and economic mobility to marginalized groups.
