It is written in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal.” However, when the Declaration of Independence was written, this phrase was only referring to white men who owned land; it excluded Native Americans, women, white men without land, and African Americans. Since the writing of the Declaration, there have been many societal advancements surrounding the fight for equality. For example, African American males were granted the right to vote in 1870, and women gained the right to vote for the first time in 1920. Native Americans were finally able to vote in every state in 1962. Sounds good… sounds settled… right?! No, because here we are in 2021 and voting rights are still under threat.
All eyes are on Georgia as two contentious voting bills, HB 531 and SB 241, are being passionately debated in both Georgia’s House and Senate. Certain parts of these bills appear to be directly aimed at decreasing the opportunity for Black voters to cast their ballots. For example, collected data shows that a substantially higher amount of Black voters need access to voting on the weekend, than their white counterparts. Sunday, in particular, has historically been a significant voting day for this group of voters. This bill eliminates early voting on Sundays. Similarly, there is the issue of ballot drop boxes. Covid-19 saw an increase in the need and use of these drop boxes; during the 2020 election, they were available twenty-four hours a day for ballot drop off. This bill will not only decrease the number of ballot boxes, it will also decrease the number of hours per day that these boxes are available for drop off. As if these types of provisional changes were not enough, this idea that it will become a criminal offense to hand out water and snacks to those waiting in long polling lines seems to have a motive to deter potential voters. It can take hours to reach the polls, and if water and food are not permitted, many people will be unable to wait in the long lines.
While it seems that some are spouting the merits for such changes as a way to increase the integrity of the voting process, it smells of suppression to me. In a country as great as ours, we must ensure that every vote counts so that the people are choosing politicians who will support their needs and help solve their problems. To allow for this to happen, voters need more access, not less. Voting polls must be accessible during hours and days that work for the voters who need them. Ballot boxes, mobile voting polls, early voting, are all examples of ways to help all voters act on their right and responsibility to vote. We must continue to be vigilant about equitable access to the ballot.
