The unprecedented assault on the voting rights of ordinary American citizens is not only Un-American, it is incredibly dangerous to our democratic system of governance. If you believe in the pledge of allegiance, the constitution, the declaration of independence and the bill of rights, you should also be dedicated to supporting a free and fair election, and the peaceful transfer of power. You should be working overtime to make sure every single American citizen has access to the ballot box without impediment. If you were a patriotic American, you would be protecting the Right to Vote as fundamental to citizenship. It is a sacred responsibility for participation in a democratic civil society. But that is not what we are experiencing in America in this election season. As, millions of people stand in long lines for hours in order to vote and to make certain that their vote counts in the middle of a public health crisis called COVID-19, we recognize that those who have the power are so committed to holding on to that power that they will do anything to make sure that fair and equal access to the ballot box is NOT their first priority. In fact, they continue to disrupt and circumvent the voting process at every possible access point. They are no longer interested in the democratic process. They are only concerned with holding on to power no matter the cost.
As millions of Americans stand in the heat, the rain, the wind and cold for excessive amounts of time ranging from 15 minutes to 11.5 hours just to cast their ballots, it is clear how much more divided America has become over the past four years. Of course, due to America’s historic legacy of voter suppression, especially in the south and in communities of color, it is those communities that experience the longest wait times and have become continual targets of voter disinformation and misinformation campaigns. They are victims of voter intimidation schemes and illegal practices that purge their names from voter rolls and bombard their phones lines with robocalls and emails filled with lies. All of these things are, if not overtly illegal, then they are morally bankrupt.
Although these behaviors and practices persist in states known for disenfranchising voters of color, especially Black voters, the SCOTUS gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013 by invalidating a key part of the law. In Shelby v. Holder, the court released 9 mostly southern states from adherence to the law; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia were all released from section 4 of the Voting Rights Act which stated that the aforementioned states must get clearance from the Justice Department or federal court in Washington before they made any major changes to voting procedures, like moving polling places, or redrawing electoral districts. Of course, immediately upon receiving affirmation from the highest court in the land these state governments and legislatures went about the “business” of doing exactly what the original provision of the law was designed to prevent. And they have been engaged in actively disenfranchising voters of color who tend to lean more heavily towards the democratic party than the republican party ever since.
The republican party is actively supporting these GOP governors and legislatures in their efforts to suppress the vote and it goes all the way to the White House. 
The assault on the Post Office and postal services is brazen in its effort to slow down and interrupt the mail service due to the exponential increase in mail-in ballots. The levels at which Americans are engaging in early voting and mail in voting is historic. The current administration astutely discerns that the number of people leaning into their Right to Vote does not bode well for them and their re-election. In any case, what must be spoken out loud and clearly stated is that “Power concede nothing without a demand, it never has, and it never will ” as said by Frederick Douglass. And “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” a quote by—Lord Acton, a British Lord of the early 20th century. Both quotes are absolutely true and what is also true is that VOTING is a fundamental RIGHT.
