Although I didn’t plan to get involved in politics this year, it now seems I must. Many states have passed laws that infringe on voting rights while insisting their aim is to combat voter fraud.
According to government auditors, voter fraud is almost nonexistent in this country, or at least it’s extremely rare. What state laws are trying to combat seems to be votes cast by minorities, seniors, college students and others who have moved since the last election, don’t drive or are likely to vote against Republican candidates.
Most of us grew up in a time when party polarization was rare. Candidates were defeated or elected on their records in office, personal appeal, ability to think on their feet and their vision for the future.
Now politicians are often elected by the size of their war chests. Television and radio outlets love the money available for advertising, and media owners applaud recent court decisions upholding corporations’ rights to free speech. (Think Citizens United.)
Within the past few days the Supremes have ruled in favor of some state voter ID laws and changes to voter registration laws that may seriously infringe on one’s right to vote. The court said it made no long-term comprehensive decisions but has ruled narrowly to avoid chaos at the polls. Timing is everything.
As far back as 1973, some states initiated Election Day registration. Montana, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming all have enacted these laws and aren’t affected by the court decisions.
However, recent court rulings allow North Carolina and Ohio restrictions to remain in force while Wisconsin’s strict voter identification law was blocked. And Texas is promising to appeal a ruling that barred its strict voter ID law as “unconstitutional racial discrimination,” according to the Associated Press. Interesting that approved voter identification in Texas includes everything, including concealed weapons carry cards but not student ID cards.
Here in Montana, a voter initiative would rescind same-day registration, closing initial or re-registration at 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Seniors and college students are the least likely to have cars and the most likely to have moved within the past few years.
At a recent Wonderlust Friday Forum, Montana House Majority Leader Gordy Vance (termed out of the legislature but running for State Senate) spoke for Initiative LR-126 and Kiah Abbey, Bozeman field organizer for the group Forward Montana, whose mission is to register more young voters, spoke against it.
“Most people don’t find difficulty with registration until they show up at the polls,” she said. “The Pew Charitable Trust recently rated Montana’s election system 11th-best in the nation. Republicans are trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.”
After the presentations questions were taken. Vance, who had stressed responsibility for voters and education about candidates and the initiatives, was unable to answer many questions including the one I asked: Noting that different states had regulations requiring employers to grant their workers time off to vote, I asked whether Montana would include another time off to register. He didn’t know but said those working for a “scrooge” could find out on their own.
Which brings me back to the media. One local candidate for U.S. Senate, Steve Daines, a Republican who served in Congress, agreed to debate his opponent, Democrat Amanda Curtis on Monday. Daines has acquired lots of out-of-state money, has flooded the airwaves with professionally produced ads and is undeniably photogenic. Wondering how voters might be swayed by these ads, I looked up his voting record. He voted for everything I oppose and against everything I’m for. Guess his ads won’t sway me.
The debate Monday was accomplished without either candidate making a major gaffe.
It was thought beforehand that Daines had only to stick to his talking points and avoid any errors and while he may have accomplished that limited goal, he did at times look stiff.
In contrast, Curtis seemed relaxed, countered questionable answers from Daines, and was considered by experts to have taken the offensive.
When the topic turned to the 2013 government shutdown, which Daines voted for, Curtis returned with, “What I didn’t hear him say was that he wouldn’t vote for a shutdown again.”
To be fair, Daines eventually did vote with 84 other Republicans to restart the government, but only after it cost Montana businesses dearly.
The point is those with limited time might do well to look up candidates’ voting records online. Even those with limited tech skills can do this. And when political ads appear on TV, hit the mute button.
Pam Linn is a former Malibu Times editor who now resides in Montana.