The Power of the Ballot Box

By Mildred Robertson

We have seen a resurgence of protests and other political action across the United States as we face perhaps the most challenging attack on civil liberties since the 1960’s. Many are alarmed at the attacks on our fundamental constitutional rights, explicit displays of racial hatred and the misogynistic treatment of women and minorities.

As many Americans look back with nostalgia on the “good old days” when they say America was great, many of us see a return to rampant racism and social and political exclusion. Their nostalgia harkens back to a time when women were consider of lesser value than men, and blacks and other people of color were considered less than human. The backlash occurring due to social and political gains by blacks and women has resulted in the emergence of a far right wing conservatism that threatens to destroy the foundational concepts that undergird our constitution. This right wing movement wrested control of the wheel of power in Washington D.C. while the majority of Americans were engaged in inter-party politics, or were not engaged at all.

The result has been a resurgence of political practices that include street marches, sit-ins, and other tactics to bring attention to a swing away from commonly held American political principles and practices. While all these are positive tactics, the most meaningful action a citizen can take is to vote his or her convictions.

This right-wing takeover did not occur because there were not motivated patriots knocking on doors, raising funds, supporting positive candidates or pushing progressive initiatives. It happened because of the people who did nothing. It happened because some people decided to opt out of the political process and not vote; a decision that affected us all. I say this not to blame anyone, but to educate.  Many of us embrace the fact that we have a right to vote, but do not hold that same passion for our obligation to do so.

Much of what is our civic duty is mundane and boring. Mid-term elections are not sexy like presidential elections. In presidential elections we tend to get caught up in the horse-race…the personality of the front runners…the polls...the party intrigue. We choose who we hate and who we love. And then, many of us vote. But far too many do not. And when we move to mid-term elections, only a handful of eligible citizens show up at the polls.

It is clear that elections have consequences. We are living the result right now. And that result has caused a swell of protests and political activism.

While it is good to march and protest leadership that has gone astray, it is equally important to let elected officials know that their failure to represent us effectively has consequences. We must let them know that we will not only scold them, but we will hold them responsible at the ballot box.

Our collective outrage at the poor representation of our current leadership is palpable. However, the solution will not be the result of a collective decision. It is an individual one. Each of us must commit to remain politically engaged. We must pledge to understand the social and political issues that affect our lives; and then we must each exercise our right to vote.

 There is power in the ballot box. Become informed. Become motivated. Exercise your power. Vote!