For some,raped in her bedroom sex video the phrase "voter suppression" may invoke images of protesting crowds, like those at early voting sites in Virginia last month, or other forms of harassment. Indeed, Trump's calls for supporters to watch over the voting process on Election Day have voting rights activists worried the groups' actions could quickly turn to intimidation, according to the New York Times. But while voter suppression can include such overt forms of intimidation, in practice, it can also be a bit more nuanced and subtle.
Broadly, voter suppression is any hurdle that prevents an eligible citizen from casting their vote. Sylvia Albert is the director of voting and elections for Common Cause, a national nonpartisan group that runs the Election Protection initiative, which coordinates a coalition of more than 100 organizations to facilitate voting across the country. According to Albert, suppressive tactics can include (but aren't limited to):
Misinformation
Confusion about howto cast your ballot
Incorrect or missing information about polling locations and ballot drop-off spots
Vague or confusing deadlines
Intentional disinformation spread in specific communities to discourage voting
Accessibility issues
A lack of voting locations in poor neighborhoods
Outdated voting machines
Long lines that discourage voters with disabilities from accessing polling locations
Inaccessible polling location hours or the early closing of locations
Systemic barriers
The purging of voter rolls without notice to voters
Ex-felon disenfranchisement laws
Voter ID requirements that may exclude some communities from voting
Voter intimidation
The targeted harassment of voters based on their identity or (assumed) political party
Threats of violence
Physically blocking polling locations from voters
Voter challenges, or when a fellow citizen (election administrator or fellow voter) questions the validity of your registration on Election Day in order to prevent you from voting
The list doesn't end there, though. The Voting Rights Alliance, a network of organizations that grew from the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus, lists 61 forms of voter suppression voters should be aware exist.
Still, fears of voter intimidation at the polls or more subtle forms of suppression shouldn’t discourage voters from attending the polls this November, according to Myrna Pérez, Director of Voting Rights and Elections at the Brennan Center for Justice. “I think we're going to have a lot of challenges, but the vast majority of Americans are not going to have a problem voting,” Pérez reassured.
That said, voters should prepare for the more subtle ways that voter suppression manifests on Election Day, through processes that are more often the product of government neglect or poor resource allocation, rather than intentional suppressive tactics, says Pérez.
Albert says the most important way voters can work against voter suppression is to learn to spot possible problems beforehand. “Your job is to vote and make sure your ballot is counted,” she said. "Have your 'spidey senses' up."
1. Before voting
Make a voting plan
Voter suppression may involve misinformation and red tape, but planning ahead and voting early ensures you can spot and avoid this. “The number one thing that we always say is make a plan to vote,” Albert said.
Your plan should include how you'll cast your ballot (in-person or by mail), where your nearest polling locations are, what identification documents you may need (every state differs), and who will accompany you to the polls. It's also important to account for time you may need to commute, childcare options if you're a parent, and accessibility needs you may require to physically cast your ballot.
Check out the League of Women Voters' first time voter checklist for more action items to consider.
Make sure you're registered
The Brennan Center specifically names voter purging— when counties remove people from registration lists — as a discriminatory and suppressive process, especially when done without notice. According to Pérez, you may not know you aren't registered until you're already at the polls. Checking your registration beforehand also gives you the opportunity to request an absentee or mail-in ballot if you haven’t already done so — deadlines are approaching fast, if they haven’t already arrived.
Be familiar with your state's rules
The most common place for suppression to occur is in the unintentional red tape of state-specific election rules — things like mismatched signatures between voter IDs and ballots, early deadlines, and identification requirements often create hurdles at polling locations that discourage voters. Both Common Cause and the Brennan Center for Justice stress that knowing the specific details of your state’s process is the most important step before voting, so check your state's specific guidelines.
The League of Women Voters created an easily searchable website to find your local voting guides, which you can access here. You can also read your state’s respective guidelines and double-check early voting deadlines on Vote.org.
If you'd prefer to speak to a person about what to expect before voting, call the Election Protection Hotline, at 1(866) OUR-VOTE, and ask for a volunteer to walk you through your state’s process. Election Protection also offers this hotline in a variety of languages, including American Sign Language. Those numbers can be found here.
Know where and when you'll vote
Polling location changes — in hours of operation, disability accommodations for voters, or through the closure of whole sites — have long been a vehicle for voter suppression in underserved communities, Albert explained. Voters should have a cursory knowledge of their nearby polling locations and double check where and when they can vote each year.
“I would not presume that where you've always voted is where you're always voting,” Pérez said similarly.
Voting plans should also include early voting if possible, Albert recommended. According to a 2013 report by the Brennan Center, early voting affords election administrators more time to correct mistakes that can invalidate ballots and helps limit long wait times, which, the center showed in another 2020 report, have a greater impact on communities of color. Black and Latino voters can have up to a 45% longer wait time than white voters on Election Day.
Learn how to spot disinformation
The final part of your plan, according to Albert, “is being properly informed. Get information from a trusted source… one that is not on the ballot.” Widespread disinformation campaigns — from QAnon conspiracies to misinformation about the vote-by-mail process — risk confusing voters about voting procedures and create unnecessary fear. According to Albert, these disinformation campaigns are "trying to suppress the vote by making people question the integrity of the election" and discourage them from voting.
2. While at the polls
Don't engage with protesters
Albert says that forms of physical intimidation at the polls, including protesters or the illegal threat of violence, have long been used to suppress votes, since the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments. Threats like these were most recently seen during the 2016 presidential and 2018 midterm elections. "We saw a few isolated incidents, but those isolated incidents were quick. We dealt with them and voters were allowed to vote," Albert explained.
Neither Albert nor Pérez expect many protests at polling sites this year. But, if you do face physical intimidation or protesters while entering your polling location, they recommend not engaging. Pérez says voters should also avoid calling local law enforcement, as increased police presence can deter voters of color or exacerbate already over-policed communities. Pérez recommends that the best way to handle combative groups is to ignore them, or ask an election administrator (those physically handing out and counting ballots at your polling place) to assist you. Voting with friends or neighbors or packing a pair of earphones may also help.
Voters can also ask for assistance from poll monitors, nonpartisan spectators who stand outside polling locations to answer questions and provide assistance before and after voting. These poll monitors differ from poll watchers, who are representatives appointed by campaigns, political parties, or city governments to oversee the administrative side of the election process and ensure that each party's votes are counted fairly. While poll watchers traditionally remain inside to oversee election administrators during voting, you may encounter additional poll watchers outside of polling locations this year — like those rallying behind the "Army for Trump" ballot security campaign, reports Reuters.
In states where election results are expected to be close — like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Florida — or counties where there is a history of systemic voter suppression, Election Protection will ensure poll monitors are on-site to watch for voter intimidation and provide resources for voters, Albert explained.
Bring identification
Convoluted Voter ID laws, which frequently impact voters who are transgender, are also forms of voter suppression. Voters should come equipped with a knowledge of their rights and any required identification documents — which could include driver's licenses, passports or even bank statements. You can double check those documents here or in your state's voting guide.
Coming to the polls prepared with identification that proves your eligibility to vote can also be helpful if someone challenges your registration. In some states, the burden of proof in the event of a voter challenge — when an election official or fellow voter questions your right to vote because they believe you don't have the proper documentation or aren't an eligible citizen — is solely on you. According to the Brennan Center, voter challenges are more often used as tools of suppression than ways to ensure a fair election process, and have historically disenfranchised Black and women voters through intimidation.
If you are worried your eligibility to vote may be challenged, call the Election Protection hotline at 1(866) OUR-VOTE before heading to the polls. Voting rights advisors are available to discuss what identification documents are required in your state to fight a challenge on-site. If you are challenged either before or on Election Day, report the incident to the Election Protection hotline. Whether or not you can still cast your ballot after being challenged depends on your state's specific challenger guidelines, and an Election Protection volunteer can help you through the process.
Read ballot instructions carefully
A state's failure to create clear voting guidelines can be a form of suppression, whether intentional or not, says Albert. "Not spending the time and energy to really get voters to understand... to know how they access the ballot, that is suppressive." The voting system also carries the discriminatory legacy of Jim Crow era laws, which made ballots intentionally inaccessible to Black voters, voters with low literacy, or non-English speaking voters.
Today, state-specific ballot language may be confusing or misleading, especially to new, elderly, and low-income voters, according to the Brennan Center.
To that end, Pérez says voters should also pay attention to what the ballots say in order to ensure your ballot is accepted. Always follow the ballot's instructions over outside information. “Read the instructions really carefully and make sure that [you] comply." If you face any confusion reading and filling out your ballot or require special assistance, you have the right to ask an election administrator for help.
Utilize poll monitors
Election Protection anticipates it'll have around 10,000 volunteer poll monitors across the country this year. Some monitors will remain stationed on-site, while others will drive from location to location answering questions or connecting you to Election Protection advocates on the phone.
“They have a lot of information about the common issues that somebody might run into while voting. Things like ‘What ID do I need?’ or ‘Am I in the right polling location?’” Albert explained.
Election Protection also coordinates a range of legal volunteers, from pro-bono lawyers to advocates with expertise in voting rights. "If there's anything more complex, [poll monitors] can call the lawyers and the advocates who have more information.”
3. After casting your ballot
Your job doesn't necessarily end after you’ve placed your vote.
Reach out to your elections administrator if needed
With COVID-19 causing widespread changes to mail-in voting opportunities and voting deadlines, many voters remain confused. "When a state or locality doesn't do the work needed to inform the voters of what's happening, that is suppression," Albert said. If you send in your ballot by mail or visit the polls this year, and are still unsure if you did things correctly or if your ballot will be counted, don't be afraid to reach out to your officials to confirm.
Pérez recommends voters call their elections administratorand ask if their county has a process to notify voters of ballot errors. If the county doesn't offer this, call and report the suspected problem to the Election Protection Hotline. Have patience with your city officials, Pérez says, as the ballot verification process often doesn’t end until after election night.
Volunteer with a voting rights organization
If you’ve already voted, or plan to vote early, you can still help ensure that others are afforded their right to cast a ballot on Nov. 3. Register to volunteer with Election Protection as a social media monitor to correct voting misinformation spread online, become a poll watcher (at a socially safe distance), or volunteer as a voting rights advocate (someone who advises voters who worry their votes are being suppressed) if you have experience in law or politics.
SEE ALSO: Youth activists share how people too young to vote can participate in the electionTreat voting like it’s a quiz — be sure to study up, point out mistakes, and advocate for yourself if you think your vote isn't getting counted fairly.
“Don’t forget you have control and power,” Pérez said. “I have a lot of faith in voter power.”
Topics Social Good Elections Politics