A More Subtle Kind Of Voter Suppression
Staying home is not taking the moral high road
What does the term “voter suppression” actually mean?
At its core ‘voter suppression’ is “any legal or extralegal measure or strategy whose purpose or practical effect is to reduce voting, or registering to vote, by members of a targeted racial group, political party, or religious community”.
We typically think of it in terms of gerrymandering, Jim Crow laws in the South, or today’s voter ID laws. No one would argue that minorities usually bear the brunt of most voter suppression methods when the concept enters the discussion. While those are blatant and gross examples of the term, it can also be more subtle and arguably more sinister.
Anyone who says “it doesn’t matter who you vote for” or “you shouldn’t vote” is actively engaging in voter suppression. Full stop.
You and only you can decide to vote or who to vote for. Yes, people can provide reasons to vote for one candidate over another and you can tell people why you, personally, are choosing not to vote. There is nothing wrong with either of those situations.
The issue of voter suppression is raised when the conversation turns to questioning the morality of voting. To put it more bluntly, telling people that the only…
