In a free country, no one should fear voting.
But are we still living in a free country?
That is the question many voters are pondering as anxieties heighten around possible interference in our electoral process in November.
The primary concern is that ICE will be sent to “monitor” polling places and intimidate voters of color, or just any voters trying to exercise their Constitutional right. The secondary concern is that President Donald Trump’s Administration (alongside local and state GOP officials) will challenge the results if they don’t go in his party’s favor, miring us in uncertainty and confusion. Or worse, causing “January 6th, the sequel,” to stop a Democratically-controlled Congress from taking power.
What’s the likelihood of either?
Well, it depends on who you ask.
There are already those on the right calling for President Trump to send ICE to the polls. Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon has already suggested such, as well as current Homeland Security Chief Markwayne Mullin, who said it earlier this month.
ICE, whose ranks in recent years have been filled with people who wouldn’t even qualify to be a dog catcher, has been a violent menace, shooting and, at times, killing civilians while rounding up citizens and immigrants alike. And those who wind up in ICE’s clutches often are doomed to a Kafkaesque nightmare in which they’re banished to tiny, inhumane cells in disparate places, then trafficked by our government to countries they’re not even from.
The idea of ICE, in all their terror and bluster, interfering with our electoral process is horrifying enough, especially considering their track record of targeted people of color, regardless of their status. But even if the election goes relatively smoothly without ICE’s unconstitutional participation, other fears are popping up in voters’ minds.
The Guardian recently posted about concerns that local and state officials loyal to the president could manipulate reports about vote counts or even try to seize ballots as results slowly roll in.
“I think because the administration has lost so many of their attempts to disrupt the normal process in court, that they are going to use the claim of foreign interference at the end of voting days to either seize equipment or to seize ballots, whether they’re legally justified to do so or not,” Caitlin Durkovich, a former deputy homeland security adviser for resilience and response on the national security council, told a briefing staged by the Brennan Center for Justice earlier this week.
Namely, that whatever happens, if the results are not to the president’s liking, will be contested. That local and state politicians loyal to the administration might try to misinform or mislead viewers about the results as they come in across the country. Trump could even feasibly try to tie up the results in the courts, hoping the conservative-leaning Supreme Court will hand him the result he wants.
And if that happens, then what?
If the will of the people is subverted and states can’t send their representatives to Congress, what will that mean for our country? Will states withhold their federal tax dollars? Will the union start to falter? Will there be civil unrest? Forget a Constitutional crisis; it could be the end of our democratic experiment as we know it.
Nothing seems too far-fetched these days when 80-year-old Trump fantasizes about an illegal third term while Americans worry how they will pay their bills, safely feed themselves, or afford fuel, food and housing.
The best thing citizens can do now is spread awareness of what might take place and prepare themselves accordingly. It’s harder to “shock” people with ICE at the polls if you’ve already told them your plans. The ACLU is encouraging voters to early vote or vote by mail where possible to avoid voter intimidation by government officials. Also, the government is actively looking for ways to purge voter rolls, so check your registration today to make sure you can vote come November.
No matter what happens, if you are registered to vote, you have the right to do it. No government official or officer has the legal right to interfere. And with so much at stake this year, we need as many registered voters to show up as possible.
Because it’s not just Democrats and Republicans on the ballot — it’s the future of our nation.
