The Issue that will Decide the Next Election
Do we have a functioning demcoracy?
By Phillip | 4/8/20
Coronavirus, the economy, youth voting, Bernie supporters, Obama-Trump voters, the future of America. These things will all matter in the next election, but there is one thing that will decide it: the right to a democracy.
In Wisconsin on Tuesday, voters waited hours in lines (6 feet apart of course) to vote in the democratic presidential primary, but more importantly, down ballot races such as the state supreme court. This court will soon decide whether to purge 200,000 or about 1/14 of voters. Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by 22,748 votes. Students and black voters, who lean heavily Democratic, are twice as likely to be purged than average.
Why did Wisconsin even vote in the first place? In the middle of a pandemic with shelter-in-place orders, why would Wisconsin make people choose between health and franchisement? The answer is simple: Republican “politics.” Republicans have discovered that the more that people vote, the less Republicans win. Although the Democratic governor, Tony Evers, asked (belatedly) that the election be rescheduled and the deadline for mail-in ballots extended, Republicans sued and the state supreme court ruled in their favor (along party lines). In Milwaukee, a heavily Democratic area, only five out of the usual 180 polling stations were open.
Our democracy is broken. The Senate gives a voter in Wyoming 66x the power of a voter in California. The current and shifting demographics of our country means that the only way that Republicans can remain in power is through voter suppression. They make it hard or impossible to vote by requiring proof of citizenship, purging voter rolls, and flagging ballots.
In a pandemic, this problem will be exacerbated. No one knows what our country will look like by November, but do we really want to take the chance that we will have a repeat of Wisconsin on a national level? I am repeatedly disgusted by the disregard of Republicans (supposedly the party of values) for the American people (this is a product of rational actors in a broken incentive system that must be fixed). Democrats must make a play to send mail in ballots to every voter in America.
The only way that Republicans will ever agree to this is if Democrats force them to in an upcoming stimulus bill. Many Republicans will decry this as playing dirty, but in fact this is playing fair. Democrats have had huge leverage in the past Coronavirus negotiations, as Republicans actually need the votes. Although these bills have been largely made on Democratic values (in an election year Republicans are finally willing to throw money at an issue), Republicans will rightfully take credit for them as the ruling party.
Democrats have been suckers for too long and have to think long term. Democratic reform is the only way to deliver Democratic power and give power back to the people. Republicans have been screwing over the public through endless wars, global warming, and economic policy. Democrats can afford to jam up a small business stimulus bill for a couple weeks in order to play the long game. Democracy reforms are not a liberal wish list item and do not encourage voter fraud. Ensuring the fundamental right of every person to free and fair elections is good politics and good policy.
Update: Democrats won the Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin!
In Wisconsin on Tuesday, voters waited hours in lines (6 feet apart of course) to vote in the democratic presidential primary, but more importantly, down ballot races such as the state supreme court. This court will soon decide whether to purge 200,000 or about 1/14 of voters. Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by 22,748 votes. Students and black voters, who lean heavily Democratic, are twice as likely to be purged than average.
Why did Wisconsin even vote in the first place? In the middle of a pandemic with shelter-in-place orders, why would Wisconsin make people choose between health and franchisement? The answer is simple: Republican “politics.” Republicans have discovered that the more that people vote, the less Republicans win. Although the Democratic governor, Tony Evers, asked (belatedly) that the election be rescheduled and the deadline for mail-in ballots extended, Republicans sued and the state supreme court ruled in their favor (along party lines). In Milwaukee, a heavily Democratic area, only five out of the usual 180 polling stations were open.
Our democracy is broken. The Senate gives a voter in Wyoming 66x the power of a voter in California. The current and shifting demographics of our country means that the only way that Republicans can remain in power is through voter suppression. They make it hard or impossible to vote by requiring proof of citizenship, purging voter rolls, and flagging ballots.
In a pandemic, this problem will be exacerbated. No one knows what our country will look like by November, but do we really want to take the chance that we will have a repeat of Wisconsin on a national level? I am repeatedly disgusted by the disregard of Republicans (supposedly the party of values) for the American people (this is a product of rational actors in a broken incentive system that must be fixed). Democrats must make a play to send mail in ballots to every voter in America.
The only way that Republicans will ever agree to this is if Democrats force them to in an upcoming stimulus bill. Many Republicans will decry this as playing dirty, but in fact this is playing fair. Democrats have had huge leverage in the past Coronavirus negotiations, as Republicans actually need the votes. Although these bills have been largely made on Democratic values (in an election year Republicans are finally willing to throw money at an issue), Republicans will rightfully take credit for them as the ruling party.
Democrats have been suckers for too long and have to think long term. Democratic reform is the only way to deliver Democratic power and give power back to the people. Republicans have been screwing over the public through endless wars, global warming, and economic policy. Democrats can afford to jam up a small business stimulus bill for a couple weeks in order to play the long game. Democracy reforms are not a liberal wish list item and do not encourage voter fraud. Ensuring the fundamental right of every person to free and fair elections is good politics and good policy.
Update: Democrats won the Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin!