Voting Law Reform
The United States likes to believe that since we are the first modern democracy, that we are the most democratic nation in the world. This is sadly far from the truth, we have a history of denying minority groups, especially African-Americans, the right to vote. Today we are only 25th on the global democracy index behind many nations that we helped create democracies in such as Japan, South Korea, and Germany. Our low ranking is due to our continued suppression of black, Hispanic, and low-income voters. Many states have enacted voter identification laws making it necessary that each voter show a form of identification when voting. But these identifications cost money and blacks and Hispanics disproportionately due not have any type of voter identification. These people cannot vote even though they are American citizens! Additionally, in Georgia and unfortunately in a couple other states, voters are getting purged from the voting rolls if their name or address on their voter registration form has a single flaw. A single misspelling of a word can prevent you from voting in Georgia. In Ohio if you did not vote in the previous election you are kicked off the voting rolls, having to re-register to reclaim your right to vote. All of these instances are absolutely horrid and are undermining the basic, core tenant of democracy: the right to vote. Election day is also on a Tuesday a day that most Americans have to work. Employers often frown upon their employees taking time off of work to vote. This results in many Americans not being able to vote out of the fear of losing their job. Voting must be made easy and extremely accessible to all Americans regardless of their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic class.
My Plan is for Congress to enact the following laws:
Step 1: Every American citizen will be automatically registered to vote at the age of 17. (Each citizen still cannot vote until they are 18). This can be done through the Social Security Administration. When any Social Security Card holder turns 17 they will be registered to vote and then sent a form in the mail to choose a party affiliation. This ends the current practice of voter registration forms becoming difficult to find.
Step 2: No American citizen including convicts may lose their voter registration. This prevents states such as Georgia or Ohio from removing citizens from the voter registry and it gives all convicts the right to vote. Many convicts have been disenfranchised even if they committed a non-violent crime.
Step 3: No voter must present a form of identification to vote. This ends the suppressment of minority low-income voters because they cannot afford any type of identification. Furthermore, voting fraud is proven not to happen in states with voter identification laws, so there is no need to panic about it on the national level.
Step 4: Election Day will become a federal holiday. All federal employees would have the day off and would have the time to vote. Additionally, many businesses give federal holidays off to their employees as well, giving many more Americans the time to vote.
With these reforms voting would become easy and accessible to all. Voting could finally become treated like the constitutional right that it is and not a privilege for the first time in American history. All Congress has to do is to pass these simple laws to make the United States a more democratic nation.
My Plan is for Congress to enact the following laws:
Step 1: Every American citizen will be automatically registered to vote at the age of 17. (Each citizen still cannot vote until they are 18). This can be done through the Social Security Administration. When any Social Security Card holder turns 17 they will be registered to vote and then sent a form in the mail to choose a party affiliation. This ends the current practice of voter registration forms becoming difficult to find.
Step 2: No American citizen including convicts may lose their voter registration. This prevents states such as Georgia or Ohio from removing citizens from the voter registry and it gives all convicts the right to vote. Many convicts have been disenfranchised even if they committed a non-violent crime.
Step 3: No voter must present a form of identification to vote. This ends the suppressment of minority low-income voters because they cannot afford any type of identification. Furthermore, voting fraud is proven not to happen in states with voter identification laws, so there is no need to panic about it on the national level.
Step 4: Election Day will become a federal holiday. All federal employees would have the day off and would have the time to vote. Additionally, many businesses give federal holidays off to their employees as well, giving many more Americans the time to vote.
With these reforms voting would become easy and accessible to all. Voting could finally become treated like the constitutional right that it is and not a privilege for the first time in American history. All Congress has to do is to pass these simple laws to make the United States a more democratic nation.
Comments
Post a Comment