Why Voting isn’t Enough in the 2020 Presidential Election
By: Mildred Robertson
The final day of 2020 Presidential Election season is
only days away. If you have already cast your vote, you are among 65.5 million
Americans who have participated in early and mail-in voting. According to CNN, that’s
almost half of all votes cast in the 2016 presidential election and more than
the 58.3 million cast in pre-election voting that year.
If you lean democratic, you may
be feeling pretty good right now. You’ve cast your vote, and it appears the
polls are on your side. National polls as of October 27 show Vice President Joe
Biden polling at 52.1 percent compared to Trump at 43 percent. In comparison, the 2016 election showed
Hillary Clinton with just a four-point lead in national polls, with neither
candidate breaking the 50 percent mark. One week out Clinton was at 46 percent,
while Trump polled at 42 percent. Though pundits and pollsters alike say that
Biden is in a much better position than Clinton in 2016, the fact remains that
she was leading…until she wasn’t.
There are numerous reasons why
Clinton struggled to trounce Trump, and ultimately fell in the polls. Her precipitous
fall has been rehashed more times than I care to recall. Suffice it to say, some
things came up. While Biden’s campaign may not have to deal with the same
challenges as Clinton’s; challenges do exist. That’s why Democrats must leave
no room for error.
Among those issues facing
Democrats is a concerted effort on the part of the Republican Party to suppress
the vote. Tactics range from slowing down mail service, to eliminating voting
locations, voter intimidation using armed vigilantes at the polls and rejecting
ballots dated prior to Election Day, but not received by November 3rd.
Among the most egregious challenges Americans may face if Biden is elected, is
that the sitting president has threatened to refuse the peaceful transfer of
power if he fails to win the election.
These challenges and others aimed
at disenfranchising voters across the nation threaten our ability to
self-govern and may lead to the dismantling of our democracy as we know it. You
might be asking what more you can do if you have already cast your vote. Well
there is plenty.
Americans must articulate a clear
choice in this election. That can only be accomplished by robust voter
participation across the country, with particular emphasis on swing states.
North Carolina is one of the coveted swing states that may determine who
assumes the presidency. Other prized swing states include Arizona, Florida,
Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
For those of us living in swing
states it is imperative, if we wish our political philosophy to prevail, that
we don’t just vote, but also work to get out the vote. There are numerous groups
and organizations participating in voter turnout (GOTV) across the country. If
you are not connected with any such group, they are easily identifiable on the
web, and would be happy for you to volunteer. Among the activities in which you
can engage to help guarantee a free and fair election are:
· Identifying personal volunteer opportunities
o Poll Watcher
o Phone Banking
o Door Knocking
o Distributing/Displaying Campaign Signage
· Contacting members of your family/social network and encouraging them to vote.
· Donating to a campaign that supports your political philosophy and beliefs
· Working the polls
· Posting pro-campaign messages on your social network
These are only a few examples of
the steps you can take to ensure that sufficient numbers of votes are cast to
leave no doubt as to the intended choice of the majority of Americans. In this
year, like no other before it, it is imperative that citizens take their civic
responsibility seriously.
You took the first step and
voted; but this year that may not be enough. Choose your task, and take the next
step to help ensure that the 2020 election results in an outcome that reflects
the will of the people.
Voting is not enough. You must WORK THE VOTE!
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