Civil and legal rights groups are urging solidarity, courage and action as months of organizing are about to culminate in midterm elections Nov. 3.
In webinars, church gatherings, bus tours and public rallies, voting rights advocates say Americans can stand up to President Donald Trump’s open attacks on democracy by staying calm, going to the polls and believing they can make a difference.
Skye Perryman
Democracy Forward hosted a virtual town hall on ways citizens can protect themselves and fellow voters at the polls and not to give in to despair over the political crisis raging across the country.
It’s also critical not to fall for the administration’s attempts to convince Americans their actions cannot make a difference in the outcome of the election or in the nation’s future, said Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman.
“We’re going to show up and vote leading up to Election Day and even after Election Day as we the people — we the voters — will not sit idly by and watch our democracy under attack. The foundation of American democracy is the power of people,” she said.
Celina Stewart
League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart urged voters during the town hall to seek immediate help from election workers and officials if anyone tries to interfere with their ability to cast ballots.
Stewart’s suggestion was in reference to numerous threats by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and other federal agencies to deploy agents to voting precincts on Election Day. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has said it may conduct enforcement actions inside polling stations.
“Our democracy has always required voters to stay informed and to know their rights,” she said. “It requires neighbors who are willing to help neighbors, it requires people to refuse to give in to cynicism and instead choose to participate as an exercise of hope because democracy is not something we watch, it’s something that we do so.”
Beatriz Lopez
Hispanic and Black families are concerned about their safety at the polls, especially given the way ICE agents have been harassing immigrants based on skin color, said Beatriz Lopez, executive director of Voto Latino.
Now the federal government is threatening to bring those actions into polling places using masked agents in the hope of keeping Americans home on Election Day. In response, the voting rights organization has registered more than 1 million Hispanic voters and activated 1 million more young Latinos across the country.
“They purge (voter) rolls and redraw (congressional district) maps to silence us and go after the people who count our votes,” Lopez said. “They’re persistent, but we’re relentless.”
Nick Brown
Elections officials in many states have been equally dedicated to making sure every vote cast will be counted, recorded and certified, said Nick Brown, secretary of state for Washington State.
But citizens have to do their part, as well, he said. “Make a plan, talk to neighbors. If you have trouble, reach out to voter-protection hotlines. The bottom line is we can counter all these efforts to undermine our democracy by showing up and making the results of the election undeniable.”
Another good idea for Americans voting early or on Election Day is to stand up to fear, said Alethea Bonello, national field coordinator for Black Votes Matter.
Alethea Bonello
“I’ve come by to remind you: Be aware and not afraid,” she said during the Democracy Forward town hall. “Someone said that fear is an acronym for ‘false evidence appearing real.’ We’ve got to continue a to combat misinformation and disinformation and speak truth to power.”
Fear can be defeated when collective voices rise up against the divide-and-conquer tactics used by the Trump administration this election season, Bonello added. “Diversity is still our superpower. We’ve got to continue to pool our resources and continue working together. There is still power in the people, and we’ve got to remind our folks about why our values are important and how to vote our values.”
Dwayne Royster
Thousands of chaplains will be deployed to polling sites around the country to help calm fears and de-escalate any “ruckus” that may arise, Bishop Dwayne Royster said during a webinar hosted by Religion News Service.
The clergy will be a “spiritual force for good to make sure we have free and fair elections,” said Royster, executive director of Faith in Action.
“We’ve said to our people over and over again, if your vote wasn’t so important they wouldn’t be fighting so hard to get rid of it. So please exercise your right to vote,” he said.