Since the last election, Republican legislators in 35 states (including Florida) have introduced bills to limit, discourage or otherwise make widespread voter participation difficult.
These insidious efforts include restrictions on mail-in ballots, reduction of drop-box numbers, elimination of same day registration, limiting early voting days and other plots of breathtaking creativity and complexity.
Clearly, these politicians are scared. Their fear is triggered mainly by one event: the senatorial runoff in Georgia.
Voting rights advocates in that state put on a tutorial on how a grassroots campaign could make real change: door-to-door registration drives targeted to under-voting neighborhoods, education and advocacy using the internet, community networks, word of mouth and an energetic get out the vote campaign.
The result was a shocking (to some) victory of fresh political faces over two incumbent multimillionaires. This also flipped the senate to a blue hue.
American politics has always been a full-contact sport. The arena is bloodied by the clash of combatants.
But democracy only exists when the playing field is cleared of gopher holes and landmines. The right of every citizen to cast their ballot should be as simple and easy as pie. Limiting voter access is anti-democratic and flat out wrong.
Republican politicians say they are only trying to stop voter fraud, but guess what, actual voter fraud is virtually nonexistent.
Their efforts should be seen for what they are: a cynical scheme by frightened incumbents in the sea of shifting political tides.
This land is your land and my land. The stakes are high, let no con-men stack the deck to deny us that.
Respectfully,
Tom Hess