Select an issue concerning voting rights or practices and tell us your thoughts about it.
One issue concerning voting rights that often goes unaddressed in society today is voter intimidation in abusive domestic relationships. The ability to vote is paramount for survivors of abuse, particularly those experiencing voter intimidation within an intimate relationship. For these individuals, the intimidation does not cease when the polls close or the election is over.
As the future of women’s rights is being determined on ballots in a growing number of states, it is important to recognize that women are disproportionately more likely to be the victim of an abusive domestic relationship. With this, we must understand that abusers often prevent survivors from casting their vote and therefore prevent them from letting their voices be heard in the democratic process.
In the spring of 2024, I interviewed advocates at a local organization that provides crucial resources to victims of domestic and sexual violence. In listening to the anecdotes of women who have dedicated their entire careers to supporting survivors, I learned the gravity of not only promoting resources to support victims but the gravity of a single vote in creating systemic change. Abusers do not want their partners to vote because of the sheer power a vote holds. They fear that voting will only diminish their power by granting the survivor a sense of freedom and empowerment. For those experiencing voter intimidation in a relationship, voting can seem like an impossible task.
Abusers isolate and limit the autonomy of victims by blocking their access to social media, friends, family, and technology. As a result, they can prevent survivors from accessing relevant information about elections, including candidates, poll locations, current issues, and voter registration. Many other obstacles make voting inherently dangerous for survivors, including confidentiality concerns, traveling far from the safety of home to find a poll location, the fear of retaliation from a current or past abuser, etc. Many states allow for voter registration information (addresses, contact information, party affiliation, birthdays, etc.) to be accessible to the public. The publicizing of this information dissuades potential voters due to concerns that a current or past abuser can easily identify them and pursue retaliation for registering. Thus, voter registration alone can pose a serious risk to the safety and well-being of survivors in America.
Throughout history, women have been the backbone of every revolution, social movement, and push for change. America’s political system today is failing survivors, especially women, by upholding systems that actively work against the democratic rights of survivors. We can ensure the safety of those exercising their democratic right by implementing address confidentiality plans for voter registration, mail-in ballots, and keeping voter registration information confidential upon request in all states.
A vote has the potential to set the survivors free, give them a sense of justice, and change the system for future victims. Voting changes lives by altering policies and electing individuals that are representative of your values. We must protect the votes of survivors in America because their vote is their silent rebellion.
