Voter suppression isn’t new. It’s been around since before Jim Crow Laws. It has taken on many shapes and sizes like poll taxes, literary tests, intimidation, and physical attacks. Laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 did away with some of these forms, but where old ones died, new ones were invented. Today, many are disguised as protection against voter fraud and some forms of voter suppression have never died, like intimidation by threat or force. But I recently discovered that it’s one thing to read about voter suppression, and quite another to witness how it unfolds first hand.
As most of you know, the Covid-19 Pandemic hs delayed my move to Prague. Since being temporarily grounded I have been finding ways to keep mentally active and to otherwise use my time in limbo productively.
When my county sent out an appeal for election workers a few months ago, I saw an opportunity to challenge myself with a new learning experience, and, to have a hands on participatory part in the most important election of my lifetime.
After testing and training I was selected to work as a “laptop operator” at one of the 9 “one stop” early voting locations in my county which ran for a period of 17 days. My job was to process voters in the data base and to print their paper ballots. Of course I also had to deal with updates, inactive voters, absentee ballots, and sometimes simply explaining to people how to mark the ballot. But my favorite part of the job was registering first time voters who could then immediately cast their ballot.
Living in a University town, as you might imagine, most of the voters I registered were young college students. Some were quiet and shy, others excited or nervous, all were polite and respectful. What you might not imagine is how complicated the process was to get them registered. The most difficult to process were those students who lived off campus and were from other counties and states. Besides a photo I.D. (school I.D.’s do not include addresses) they had to produce a document, from an approved list, that showed their current name and address together in our county. The state accepts utility bills, bank statements, pay stubs and government issued documents.
No student that I worked with had a utility bill in their name, only their parents’ name. Because they’re students they don’t work, so no pay stubs. They bank on-line and their accounts show their home-town address- as did every other acceptable government issued document like car registrations and passports. They don’t pay property tax or yet file taxes with the IRS so no luck there.
The only thing they could produce was their rental agreement which of course clearly stated their name and the physical location of the property. Logical, perfect, you say? No, these are not acceptable forms in this state to prove that you live in the county. Proving residency for college students is #25 on this list of 61 Forms of Voter Suppression. I hope you will take the time to read through this list and share it with your friends. https://www.votingrightsalliance.org/forms-of-voter-suppression
The Bohemian Freethinker 
I’m glad you worked as an election worker, and have been able to gain insight into the whole process. I suppose public awareness is one of the first steps toward remedying voter suppression. Sometimes it seems so daunting, especially when the courts are not always helpful, and perhaps people who do not experience voter suppression may not be aware of how widespread it is. Thanks for shedding light on this issue.
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Hi Linda, thanks for your comment as always. It was a great learning experience and privilege to have worked the polls this year. You are exactly right. Those of us who have never faced voter suppression really can’t see how common and widespread a problem it is. Also because it’s so subtle. We do need to spread the word and make others aware. I hope you’ll share that list of “61 ways”
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Hi Penny – Alice forwarded this to me. Good read, I didn’t know about this #25 on the list of 61 ways to suppress votes. Thank you! I’m disappointed in NC results – no doubt in some way related to voter suppression…But at least baby steps are getting us to increasing margins of voters for truth, compassion and justice for all. -Deevy
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Thanks for reading Deevy. Yes, NC is at least inching in the correct direction.
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Wow, that’s terrible! I hadn’t thought of this challenge before and the sad reason why is because I don’t think I started voting until after college. Part of it was probably my general laziness and ignorance at that age, but it may have also been because I didn’t understand the process. Thank you for getting out there and helping these young people vote!
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Thanks for your comment Carrie! Ok, you’re right, there is a laziness factor in the voting habits of our youngest voters but you have made an excellent point. Civics classes are no longer taught in schools and generations of young people have grown up with little to no understanding of how the voting process works, nationally, state wide, and especially on their local level. Most people have no clue how elected positions effect them personally in their daily lives. Thus they feel little urgency to learn about candidates and vote. Youth have to be taught why it matters who they elect for county commissioner as much as it does who they elect as President.
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