Ward: A good discussion on voting

Jeff Ward, jward@muncie.gannett.com
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Two takeaways from Monday night's discussion on civil rights at the Whitely Community Council meeting: Voting is a right to be defended, but some young people are wary of the process, especially the one used to elect a president.

Inside a packed President's Room at the Muncie Area Career Center, small groups gathered to discuss voting and civil rights issues. It's a discussion I hope will take place at watercoolers, classrooms, bars and other places people gather. There's certainly plenty to discuss this year.

A voting sticker.

In my group, there was frustration with the voting process. One person said a vote counts at the local level, but not so much for national office. Of particular concern was the Electoral College. Sure, it's possible a candidate wins the popular vote and loses the Electoral College vote, the one that really matters. That happened in 2000 when Democrat Al Gore got more than 540,000 votes to George W. Bush. Recall also the fiasco with hanging chads and undervotes in Florida, that sent the outcome to the Supreme Court. 

As bad as that was, it could have been worse had we had direct election of the president. Under a similar scenario, recounts could have spread to other closely contested districts — anyplace where a party figured to pick up votes. Determining the "correct" outcome would have been far messier, and likely to be made by the courts, again. Or, what if we had a run-off election system? Would you want to endure still more months of campaigning, political advertisements from candidates and special interests? Could our nation survive such a scenario?

Jeff Ward.

Some political experts say third party candidates Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan in 2000 siphoned off votes that might have helped one of the major candidates claim a popular and Electoral College victory. What isn't disputed is that a small number of changes in the vote, or more people willing to go to the polls, could have changed the outcome in 2000. Your vote does count at the national level.

There was also desire among participants for more empathy from the candidates. One said picking among Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was like picking the lesser of two evils. There was also much worry over the future for children; this was coming from people still in college.

That sounds ominous for the nation's future.

Among many at the meeting, there was strong sentiment to strengthen the Voting Rights Act and defending the right to vote. And based on some experiences, it needs to be defended.

One person recounted hearing how their parents were told they had to be property owners in order to vote in Kentucky. 

Another felt intimidated when she first was able to go to the polls because election officials weren't looking at her as a person intelligent enough to make a decision in the voting booth.

One man said voting is a "sacred act," that it's important at the national level all the way down the ballot because every candidate has an impact. Each office is important, he said, and it's important to keep voting, not just in presidential elections. "You have to continue to vote."

No doubt, this is an important election. (They always are.) Making an informed decision inside the voting booth for president is a challenge. And it becomes more difficult to make an intelligent choice about candidates and issues farther down the ballot. I would encourage voters to rely on a number of news sources, even ones that might focus on viewpoints you might not personally like to become an informed voter.

When Election Day arrives Nov. 8, many, maybe most of us, will be suffering from campaign fatigue. Still, pay attention to what the candidates are saying (and not saying), and then defend your right to vote — by voting.

"Rights are right, but they are not always enforced. You have a right to vote, but it is your job to go ahead and do right," said one women.

So true.

Jeff Ward is a news columnist for The Star Press. Email him atjward@muncie.gannett.com with tips, suggestions or story ideas.

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