Exercising Our Right To Vote

"Give me a paper and let me vote for my legislators. Let me see their names and their faces. Let me hear them, and I will vote, I will pick which one." A longtime ATD Fourth World activist from New York City expressed what many people also believe is an important way to participate in the democratic process that has an effect on our lives. The act of voting is valued, respected, for many because of the hard work and sacrifices of people who came before to make it a legal right of all people. A long time voter in New Orleans said, "I’m trying to make sure that everyone I know is registered to vote so that they can go out and vote. Because I feel like people worked really hard to make sure we had a right to vote."

As we’ve been hearing in the lead up to this year’s November election, as we often hear just before consequential elections, voter turnout and the absence of voters from certain backgrounds, also has a huge impact on our political process, and the laws, rules, and policies that follow. But we don’t all experience that impact, nor the ability to join in this political system in the same way. We spoke with people around the United States whose lives are directly impacted by the hardships of poverty about their approach to the upcoming election, if they feel the stakes are different this year, and about barriers they face in participating.

An activist in New York City explained the efforts she makes.

“I have issues at home - with my landlord, (my children’s) home school, my own school, but that won’t stop me. I will continue to do outreach, whether to set up a table or knock on doors to canvas the neighborhood to tell people about the urgency to vote and ask them to join up. I am working hard and am part of coalitions that teach others what we learned.”

A friend in Southwest Virginia spoke about his strategy for choosing the best candidate for his vote.

“You have to do your research. You have to look into the real facts of what both candidates have done. You can’t listen to the media, you have to do your own research. I have spent countless hours doing my own research. Not just looking through and listening to social media. … And I think that’s what makes this country great. Even with facts, people are entitled to their opinion, and what may work good here may be something different somewhere else. Another candidate may work best in another area for a different type of community.”

For some, even though voting is highly valued, and they make efforts to exercise that constitutional right, the change it has on daily life is not always evident. An ATD Fourth World member in New Orleans said, “It’s going to be the same when they finish voting. Everything’s going to be just like it was last year”, while also affirming, “I’m going to go out and vote! As long as I have my mask and gloves, I'm straight.”

The current social and health situations in our communities also impact participation. In New Mexico, a friend explained some challenges: “The election this year is going to be different because it's confusing for some people. Like for me, I try to call the tribal offices, but they don't pick up in Window Rock (capital of Navajo Nation). … Mis-information, missing information or where to contact for the polls for the early voting make it difficult.” It’s the impact of elections in her hometown that motivate her to vote. Elected officials at the local Chapter House in Navajo Nation directly determine how resources are allocated, and for her the key issue is support of elders needing assistance.

We also heard from some people how barriers to voting have kept them from voting for so long that the expectation of their participation isn’t felt. Or the complexity of figuring out how to register when you’ve moved often, don’t have a permanent address, have a past court record, or simply have never done it, is overwhelming and doesn’t happen. It’s in these situations where we can understand that while taking part in our democracy in this way can be seen as a personal responsibility and right, it requires being included in a society that values that each person contributes. This is the society we try to build together, through our democracy, through our humanity, with all those who don’t expect to be counted.

"If we want to change the world, we need to vote. It shows that you care and that you want to fix what is happening."

"What makes this election different for me is we’ve got this virus going, number one. And a lot of people can't get out like they’re supposed to. Like me, I’m one. The virus is stopping a lot of elderly people from voting."