Honor the People who fought for your rigt to vote!
Mary Strevel
100 years ago the 19th amendment passed prohibiting the states and federal government from denying the right to vote to citizens of the United States on the basis of sex, Unfortunately, 3 million African American women who lived south of the Mason Dixon line remained disenfranchised until 1965, Not until the 24th amendment was adopted in 1962, were the states prohibited from making voting conditional on poll taxes or literacy tests, It wasn’t until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed which prohibits racial discrimination in voting that African American women completely realized their right to vote, Native Americans didn’t gain the right to vote in New Mexico and Arizona until 1957, Women had to lobby for many years to be able to sit on juries.
From the time of the formation of this country, people have gone to extreme measures to be heard and get the right to vote, From the hunger strikes of suffrage to the sit-ins of the 60’s we have valued our right to vote with our lives, Even today voter suppression is taking place, Voter ID laws are one example, Government ID’s can be expensive and put a burden on people in low income communities. Travel to obtain an ID can also be an obstacle especially for the elderly, for people with disabilities and people living in rural areas, Voter purges are another example of voter suppression, Sometimes states use this process as a method of mass disenfranchisement, purging eligible voters from rolls for illegitimate reasons, Ofter voters learn they have been purged when they go to vote on Election Day.
The League of Women Voters grew out of the suffrage movement in the 1920’s. Their mission has always been for the peoples’ voices to be heard. Not only did the League work for the Equal Rights Amendment but they also campaigned for national legislation to reform voter registration, This resulted in passage of the National Voters Registration Act, also known as the “motor vote” bill, This enabled voters to register at motor vehicle agencies automatically as well as by mail, The League sponsored presidential debates so the voters could hear the voices of the candidates,
When you vote you not only exercise your right, but you honor all the people who fought for that right, Elections have consequences, In the 2016 election less than 56% of the eligible voters, voted, For a democracy to function the higher the percentage of voters, the more likely the election represents the will of the people. People who win elections don’t necessarily represent the majority of the population, We are living with those consequences in 2020, Voting is your chance to stand up for the values you believe in, What quality of life do you want for yourself and future generations? I know that I want for my grandchildren, female and male, black and white to live in a country where they will get a fair shot at the American dream, Use your voice on November 3rd, Vote.