This year I’m not so much in the mood to celebrate July 4th. The reason is that I’m angry and I’m alarmed that many of our elected representatives and senators actively supported the January 6th insurrection and Trump’s blatant attempt to overthrow our country. I hear a lot of citizens and Democrats cry “vote them out!” and “the blue wave is coming in the mid-terms!” I’d like to hope that this is true and that most Americans realize how close we are to losing our democracy. But if we are to preserve our nation, we need to vote for candidates who represent the public instead of corporations, media giants, or extremists.

In the 2020 election, 80 million Americans did not vote. The 2020 election experienced record voter turnout across the nation, and President Biden smashed the record for the most votes received by a presidential candidate (more than 81 million). In spite of this, 80 million sounds like a lot of people sitting out on the democratic process. According to the US Census Bureau, as of November 2020, there were 168.31 million registered voters in the US. So if we do the math right, a little under a third of registered voters did not vote in the 2020 election. 

In December of 2020, NPR and the Medill School of Journalism commissioned a survey of U.S. adults who didn’t vote in 2020. The results revealed several reasons why Americans sat the election out. The biggest reason for not voting was not being registered to vote (29%), then next was not interested in politics (23%), and third not liking the candidates (20%). Other factors included not feeling that their vote would make a difference (16%) and not sure who to vote for (10%).

The study found that those non-voters felt a sense of alienation, pessimism, and/or apathy when it came to politics, and 2/3 of those surveyed felt that voting has little to do with how decisions are made in this country. Another aspect of this survey is that non-voters tend to be less civically engaged and lack confidence in their local governments. 

As a woman and the granddaughter of a suffragette, I’ve made it a point to always participate in the democratic process, however flawed it may seem in the era of gerrymandering, voter suppression, and campaign finance loopholes.  It’s also disconcerting that many states, such as Arizona, Texas, and Georgia have enacted restrictive voting laws, and that major corporations like AT&T and Coca-Cola have donated to state lawmakers who champion voter suppression measures.

Then there’s the Supreme Court. It’s been a wild week with the country’s highest court obliterating a woman’s right to choose, gutting environmental protections, eviscerating gun regulations, and agreeing to take up a North Carolina redistricting case that would remove a major check on the power of partisans in drawing up election rules. 

I understand the pessimism and the alienation of non-voters. However, today our democracy is more fragile than ever with the rise of right-wing candidates who are pushing extremist and authoritarian agendas.

The attempted coup on January 6^th was just a rehearsal, and its participants included elected officials.

Outside of the Bill of Rights, the vote is our most important political right, and women and minorities fought hard for it. During our nation’s birth, only white landowners could vote: Times have changed.

How do democrats motivate and energize these non-voters? How do we engage young voters? How do we connect with Black Americans, independents, and other groups who don’t fit the mold of a “White, Right-Wing Christian America?”

A new poll suggests that the Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade has the potential to drive a pro-choice majority to the polls, and might be the saving grace for Democrats in both the House and Senate. This would prevent the loss of seats that historically happen during midterm elections.

As far as engaging younger voters, a recent Teen Vogue survey of younger voters yielded some interesting data. Results showed that Democrats were trusted over Republicans on abortion rights by a 31-point margin (52% to 21%) and that 73% of respondents supported protecting abortion rights. 

An older, 2016 study showed that young people in America overwhelmingly support LGBT rights when it comes to employment, adoption, and health care. Also, if the Supreme Court goes after same-sex marriage, contraception, and LGBTQ rights (as hinted by Justice Clarence Thomas) the GOP may lose Gen Z votes.

Younger voters are also very disturbed about climate change. According to a survey of 16-25 year-olds, climate change is causing anger, distress, and anxiety among the world’s youth. Most worry about the future and feel let down by their governments.

Lastly, in a recent June 2022 Gallup poll, 27% of Americans identify as Republican, a matching 27% identify as Democrat, and 43% identify as independent. That says loads about how Americans feel about the two-party system.

If we are going to take back our democracy, the Democratic party needs new, younger, and more progressive leadership that’s not afraid to recognize and fight back against far-right extremists. The party also needs to focus on voter registration drives, and seriously represent the interests of Black Americans, minority groups, independents, women, young voters, and members of the LGBTQ community. 

I’m hoping that this Independence Day Americans will reflect on the direction our nation is headed, and in November of 2022 and 2024 vote for those individuals who adhere to their oaths of office to serve their country rather than autocrats and extremists.