This commentary is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org.
Sept. 15 was Democracy Day. We are approaching an election that people of all political persuasions agree is crucial for the future of our nation.
Sadly, many qualified citizens choose not to participate in this most basic method of influencing how we are governed.
However, there is a solution: When enough people understand that despite obstacles, our votes can be truly powerful.
There are many reasons that people don’t vote.
We are all busy in our everyday lives. And there are practical obstacles for people who lack transportation or who have physical disabilities.
The most disturbing reason that many citizens choose not to vote is that they have become discouraged.
They believe claims that cast doubt on the integrity of our elections or find government unresponsive to their concerns or just believe their votes won’t matter.
Most of the noise about election integrity is simply that, noise arising from misinformation or even intentional disinformation.
For many years we have heard that dead people are voting. Several investigations by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have shown that this is not supported by the facts. Nationally, there have been cases of isolated individuals voting on behalf of a close relative, but with modern election management, this is simply not a workable way to rig an election.
More recently, we have been told that non-citizens are voting. A SLED investigation that was completed this year has shown that it isn’t happening in South Carolina. There has been no credible evidence that it is happening nationally.
The S.C. State Election Commission works closely with federal and state law enforcement, technical experts, and local election officials to ensure that those who vote are in fact eligible to do so and that our elections run as smoothly as can be hoped from a human endeavor.
We can have confidence in the competent administration of our elections.
Citizens also become discouraged when the results in November seem to be predetermined, either because one party is genuinely dominant or because gerrymandering has distorted district boundaries to favor one party over another.
However, there are important ways that voters can counter this.
Every qualified voter should participate in every election, including primaries. Many South Carolina races are decided in primaries. However, even when we get to November in a badly imbalanced district, voters can take charge, simply by turning out in very high numbers.
If every qualified individual in South Carolina voted in every election, our government would be very different than it is today.
Help to preserve our representative democracy. Make plans to vote in the upcoming election.
Begin by becoming informed.
Every year, thousands of voters find the League of Women Voters website at Vote411.org very helpful in preparing to vote. As we get closer to the election, there will be information on what is on the ballot in your area as well as responses to questions by candidates, unedited by the League so that statements provide an accurate and unbiased reflection of candidate positions.
Voters can also get information through Election Protection, maintained by a coalition of more than 300 respected voting rights groups. This information is available on-line at 866ourvote.org and through calls and texts to 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
Our beloved democracy becomes better protected with every vote that is cast.
Make a plan, inform yourself, and vote!
Lynn Shuler Teague was born in Orangeburg, grew up in Columbia, and moved to New Mexico in 1968. She is a professional archaeologist and was on the faculty of the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona for many years. She and her husband returned to South Carolina when they retired. Since 2012, she has served as a vice president of the League of Women Voters of SC and volunteer League lobbyist at the Statehouse, working especially on the voting and election issues central for the League. She has directed the League’s work on redistricting since 2017.
