why you shouldn't shame non-voters?

We are in the election season. Everywhere you look there is an ad, a person, or just a simple notice about voting for the November 3rd election. You can’t simply mind someone’s business on Instagram without them telling you to vote. However, there is a problem with this situation. The “make sure you vote” campaign that has plagued the lives of us that consume American media. And that’s the major issue. Everyone yells vote but no one goes into any deeper details as to why?

Democrats push this narrative to “get that man out of the white house” whereas republicans push the narrative because “Biden and the democrats are bringing socialism and communism to the country”. If you do not conform to either of these two ideologies, people believe that you don’t care for the development of the country. It’s even worse than if you tell someone they aren’t going to vote. 

The shaming of non-voters is one of the major issues of this election period from both sides. I believe that people should go out to vote, but I am not yelling at non-voters and you shouldn’t as well. Here are a couple of reasons why you shouldn’t shame non-voters: 

• Voter Suppression

Did we all of a sudden forgot that voter suppression is ingrained in the structure of the United States? The founding colonizers (fathers) of this nation wrote the constitution to limit who can vote for the leaders of the country. Since then “voting rights” have increased by time and time low income and people of color, especially Black and Indigenous people are disenfranchised every election period. Many low-income people also aren’t able to get off to go vote (especially if they aren’t able to do mail-in ballots) as they are usually essential workers.  

Another major issue that has plagued the news world right now felons and their right to vote. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only two states, Maine and Vermont, the felons never lose the right to vote. In 18 states felons only lose their rights while incarcerated, but have an automatic restoration after release, and 20 states their rights are lost until completion of sentence (parole and/or probation) with an automatic restoration after. However the last 11 states their rights are lost until completion of sentence, some states there is a post-sentencing period and there is a need for additional action required for restoration.  

While prisons shouldn’t exist in the first place (another post for another day), restricting the rights of these humans, especially with these states such as Mississippi which has the highest populations of Black people at 39% with Alabama following at 28%, Virginia with 21% and Florida with 18%. 

Florida, which is a part of the last 11 states, is a part of that issue where the judges push that felons currently can’t vote until they pay fines and fees. This is a major problem as many of these felons are people who fall under the poverty lines and do not have the time to run around to do all the paperwork. 

• Privacy issues: 

Another reason people aren’t voting is that when they do register to vote, there is a high chance that their address will be available to the general public. This is worrying for a lot of people, but it’s even worse for those who are victims of sexual assault and other domestic violence situations. Many states have the option to go have address confidentiality programs, which of course you will be accepted in based on how the programs are run. Then there are seven states, Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming, and the District of Columbia who does not have that option. 

• They don’t want to and you can’t fight them. 

Unfortunately, most non-voters who are shamed tend to be Black. Those who decide not to vote to have all the right not to do so. In most cases, these are people who are doing work within the community while the shamers yell at them from behind their screens. Lef dem be.


If you do go the polls this election season, please remember a couple of things: 

• Make sure to send in your mail-in ballots on time. 
• Find out your nearest early voting station 
• Pay attention to your local and state candidates, they are more important 
• Voting is not the solution to our issues. Community work and mutual aid is always a better way to fix our issues. ​

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Sources: 

Anderson, C. (2020, September 11). Judges: Florida felons can't vote until they pay fines, fees. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://apnews.com/article/florida-voting-rights-elections-courts-voting-b4f68dd4f11a6df4430fbdc74ae93de3

Peritz, A. (2019, April 08). Perspective | Registered to vote? Your state may be posting personal information about you online. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/04/09/registered-vote-your-state-is-posting-personal-information-about-you-online/

Potyondy, P. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx

Voting & Survivor Privacy. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://www.techsafety.org/voter-registration-privacy

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