Our Communities, Our Votes, Our Time to Step Up Locally
Is America’s democracy dying? To hear certain political pundits tell it, we’re on the verge of catastrophe. Yet from another perspective, 2020 can be said to have been the high point of democracy in America. As we’ve been saying, despite our exhaustion, our isolation, and our frustration with disinformation, Americans of all backgrounds managed to turn out and vote in record numbers in 2020. And many of us who voted do not take our franchise for granted.
So why the doomsayers? To be sure, we are facing an unprecedented assault on our access to the ballot. Here’s a quick catalogue of what to worry about.
First: you may have read about the intimidation and harassment of school board officials nationwide. The same actors behind these campaigns have another target in their sights, too: local election officials. Social media is enabling targeted harassment of these officials by armies of right wing trolls in frightening new ways. Make no mistake: the harassment is coordinated and it is intended to have a widespread effect of undermining those who protect the integrity of the ballot box. A case involving election clerks in Georgia targeted by right wing outlet Gateway Pundit is a case in point. Lies were spread over social media leading to violent harassment. The officials in question are suing, but we don’t need to wait for our courts to protect other election clerks around the country.
Second: radical Republicans have a plan to replace election officials who step down with extreme partisans who won’t just suppress the vote, they’ll steal it if need be. We should already anticipate a wave of aging officials to step down simply because they are exhausted. There may be others who give in to a steady stream of harassment. A recent report from Pro Publica about attacks on a local Republican election official in a deep red district in Texas gives a good indication of the extent to which anti-democratic grassroots actors are willing to take bites everywhere they can. Playing defense will not be enough.
Third: even some well-meaning allies are amplifying this fringe minority movement in ways that help spread the hysteria. They amplify the stories of right wing momentum without reporting on our ongoing efforts to protect the ballot. And yet grassroots activists on our side remain solidly mobilized and taking actions every day. Words matter. This type of reporting gives undue attention to one side of the fight and can undermine confidence in the other. So let’s take a look at what’s happening on our side.
We’re finding great inspiration in what happened just a few weeks ago in Georgia. Despite rampant voter suppression, a diverse new group of progressive Democrats flipped seat after seat, taking charge of no less than 40 new seats at local and state level in 2021. How is this happening? It’s because our communities in Georgia, inspired by the leadership of the brilliant Stacey Abrams, are using our superpower.
Our superpower, and why Republicans are no longer just trying to suppress our votes is that there are more of us than them. And many of us hail from tight-knit communities that know how to organize. We are used to coming together to protect one another. Indeed we’ve had to organize to lift each other up over decades and generations, just to survive.
While we support ongoing efforts to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, neither Congress nor the courts should be at the center of our fight. We’re not waiting around for federal legislation. Let’s fight where it most matters: in our own communities around the country.
We have it in our power to strengthen an important part of the system right in our communities and protect it from unprecedented attacks.
Our plan: we intend to create support for local election officials and sustain integrity in our process in every precinct.
We know how to take care of our own. First, we’ll need to recruit and put our own in place, meaningful election clerks who come from our communities and are committed to protecting all votes. We want to elevate the efforts of a fantastic organization, Run for Something, that is helping diverse young progressives run for offices like County Clerk around the country. Sign up and check out their resources!
Second, our community organizations can create networks of trust around these public servants, making sure they are visible and respected. We can counter the threats and disinformation by building a protective ecosystem around them and connecting with national groups for protection and assistance when they need.
Many of our community groups are already very active in efforts to get out the vote and to protect voters. Now we’re just suggesting moving our efforts a little bit upstream in the process.
All of this can be done locally and need not wait for national action. We don’t even need to wait for state parties. It’s tight knit communities, communities that are already helping one another and relying on one another.
More of us need to think about running for local offices that oversee elections. And those who aren’t ready to run can continue to be active with a faith community, a civic organization, or indeed a local Democratic precinct to help.
And we need to educate some allies who think the fight is over when it’s just beginning, or those who are looking too much at the top of the ticket candidates to save us all. Let’s all just keep firmly in mind that the US Constitution was written to enfranchise propertied white men. Could it be that the folks who are now throwing in the towel are those who never had to learn to fight for their vote, and perhaps have no stomach for the fight? Allies, we’re telling you to focus on doing a few things well within your power to help us.
One simple thing you can do: instead of just giving your donations and time to popular national candidates like Beto O’Rourke or even Stacey Abrams, take a minute to find just one good candidate running for a local, election-related office. Then split your donation to make sure those local candidates are getting some support too!
The forces arrayed against US democracy right now can feel overwhelming. But those who believe in democracy vastly outnumber those who don’t. If you aren’t used to fighting for your right to vote: time to join us. And if you know just how hard it was to win the right to vote: we won’t go back again. Democracy in America isn’t over yet. In fact, it’s just getting started.