Voter Activism is an American Tradition

Earlier this month, 55 Benedictine nuns from Erie, Pennsylvania went head-to-head with a conspiracy theorist who accused the monastery of voter fraud. The sisters received a barrage of online complaints as they were swept up in the unfounded, yet all too prevalent narratives spouted by election deniers.

In response, the Benedictine Sisters of Erie sprung to action by releasing a public statement and inviting a local news crew to document that they do, in fact, live full-time on the monastery grounds. They are also exploring legal action against the group that spread the false claims. But what’s most important – each sister will be able to cast a ballot and have it counted in this critical election cycle. 

The prevailing narrative in recent years and weeks is that our democracy is in crisis. Stories like this from Erie show us that this sentiment is not unfounded. My organization, All Voting is Local, has been working in states across the country to fight back against baseless lies about our election process from those who seek to undermine the will of voters. And we’re laser-focused on removing any barriers between now and November 5th that prevent Americans from easily casting their ballots. But in the midst of these challenges, I remain optimistic that our country’s legacy of citizen-led activism that we are seeing in action today will allow democracy to prevail. 

Indeed, it’s this activism that has been at the root of our democratic process since our country’s founding, when only white male landowners were able to vote. From there, to the post-Civil War poll tax, to the suffragist movement, to the Voting Rights Act, individual citizens have banded together to enfranchise more communities.

While each of these movements brought us closer to a more perfect union, voters, especially those of color and from marginalized communities, have had to overcome barriers to our democracy. This became even harder in 2013 with the  Supreme Court’s ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, gutting a requirement in the Voting Rights Act that mandated federal oversight into voting procedure changes in states with a long history of discrimination. Since then, extremists across the country have jumped on the opportunity to make voting more difficult and weaken our democracy in the process.

But across the country today – even as election deniers and conspiracy theorists attempt to undermine our democracy – voters like the sisters in Erie are saying “enough” and are finding ways to hold decision makers accountable to protecting access to the ballot box. 

That was the case this fall in Wausau, Wisconsin when voters banded together to restore access to the city’s drop box after the mayor egregiously wheeled it away. Voters’ outrage at this blatant attempt to make it harder to cast their ballots drew national attention that forced the mayor to return the drop box, and sparked an ongoing investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Drop boxes have also been a focus for voters in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania after the county manager decided to unilaterally remove them last month. The ACLU of Pennsylvania, representing a group of voters and a local organization called In This Together NEPA, sued to demand the restoration of voters’ right to cast their ballots in this safe and accessible manner. The public and legal pressure forced the county to re-deploy the ballot boxes for this cycle.

And in Georgia, Judge Robert McBurney blocked the State Election Board’s newly-passed rule requiring election officials to hand count the millions of ballots that will be cast in the state this November. The rule was widely criticized by bipartisan election officials and voting advocacy groups, including All Voting is Local Action, for the havoc it would wreak on the electoral process just weeks before Election Day. In his ruling, Judge McBurney echoed concerns that the “11th-and-one-half hour implementation” would erode Georgia voters’ confidence in results.

The days to come will undoubtedly bring more attempts to challenge voters’ rights and sow distrust in our election process. As voters, we must take each of those instances as a call to stay engaged in our ongoing fight for our democracy, just as those in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Georgia have this year. That starts with casting a ballot, but it also requires us to call on those in power to make that action seamless for all Americans.

Progress has never been easy or straightforward, but the push and pull of voter activism has helped strengthen our democracy. There’s still time to join this fight – and being an active and engaged citizen starts with casting your ballot. Make a plan to vote between now and Election Day, and encourage your family and friends to do the same.