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Now or Never

By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D.
The Truth Contributor

  Opportunity don’t come but once. And if you miss it – it may not come back again.

       -  Grandmama ‘nem
 

 

Rev. Donald L. Perryman, D.Min.

William Shakespeare, once eloquently wrote, “There is a tide in the affairs of men. When taken at the flood, leads to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life, is bound in shallows and in miseries.”  However, the short, sententious mother wit of Big Mama or Grandmama ‘nem articulated this pearl of wisdom no less masterly when they forewarned, “Don’t miss an opportunity. It may only come once!”

Whether expressed by the grandiloquence of the storied poet-playwright or the pithy innate common-sense intellect of seasoned African American women, the truth is the same. There are some things before us that the urgency of the hour requires that we act on or the opportunity to do so will vanish, never to return. The implication is that we risk the consequences of not taking immediate action.

American voters are facing our most consequential election since perhaps the vote which preceded the blood-soaked Civil War.

Voting is a fundamental right, and all citizens should have voter access that is easy and convenient. Yet, the 2020 election occurs when a myriad of political tactics and outside attempts to interfere with our elections, are being employed to suppress voter turnout in urban centers and areas with large minority populations.

In Ohio’s major urban areas, voters have had to wait for hours in lines up to a quarter of a mile or longer, on average. Low income and African American voters find that they have to wait in line twice as long as white voters as Ohio voters “must overcome a series of barriers put into place by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature and secretary of state,” says the Center for Public Integrity.

Specifically, the impediments, which disproportionately burden people of color. include “strict ID laws and purging voter rolls that target those who do not vote frequently enough, limiting the number of drop boxes and rejecting signatures on absentee ballots and applications.”

What’s at Stake:

The implicit narrative painted is that certain groups do not deserve access to the voting booth nor other rights, such as access to affordable health care. And, as has been stated before, this momentous election also comes at a period that Miguel De La Torre describes as where “white nationalism has been brought back into the mainstream of American public life; racial tensions are running high fueled by explicit bigotry such as slurs against Hispanic immigrants; excessive force is perpetrated against citizens of color by law enforcement; and the rhetoric of identity politics pervades the media rather than racial justice and reconciliation.”

Protecting Your Vote:

Undoubtably, these biases and aggressive voter suppression strategies played a role in our community’s low turnout in 2016. While life presents us with opportunities, it is time to seize the moment and bring about change.  In the 2020 election, it is time to go on the offensive rather than the prevent defense we played four years ago.  We don’t have much time, but we can counter the suppression. Here’s what we can do.

8 Ways to Fight Back:

1.     Check and Re-Check your Registration: In September 2019, 182,000 Ohioans were purged from the voter rolls. Ensure that you are properly registered, your name is on the rolls, and that your address is up to date. Registration information available at OHVOTES.ORG

2.     Vote now and Know your local election dates and deadlines: Election Day, Nov.3, 6:30am -7:30pm. Early in-person voting starts October 6, M-F 8am – 5pm; The last two weekends and Monday before election (Nov.2) also have Early Voting; Take absentee ballots in signed envelope to Drop Box at One Government Sq. (Jackson St.) from October 6 to November 3, 7:30pm. Only immediate family members may return absentee ballots, but anyone can provide a ride to vote or drop off the absentee ballot.

3.     Find your polling place, what’s on your ballot, ID requirements and other information at ohvotes.org.

4.     Be Informed: The League of Women Voters’ website generates voter-specific voter guides. Reach out to your local league or visit VOTE411.ORG to research candidates and ballot measures.

5.     Complete Absentee Ballots Accurately: Follow instructions to a tee and fill in information PROPERLY. Include email and phone numbers where asked in case information needs to be corrected. Double-check the return envelope and track your ballot like a package at https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/toolkit/ballot-tracking/.

6.     Election Protection: Flag and report any misinformation on social media immediately. Report voter suppression/intimidation. The Nonpartisan Voter Hotline provides registration status, polling location, and voter rights. They also provide an intake process for voter rights violations. 1-866-OURVOTE (English) or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish). Attorneys interested in making sure that every vote is counted should contact wetheaction.org to help out.

7.     Have a Plan: Ensure everyone in your household has a ride and a plan to get to the polling place; ensure you have weather-appropriate gear, folding chair, water, and snacks.

8.     Stay in line! If you are in line to vote before the polls close, you have the right to vote, no matter how long it takes. If asked to leave or experiencing other problems at your polling place, call the ACLU’s Election Protection Hotline 1-866-OUR-VOTE or visit their anti-suppression website at 866ourvote.org.

The determination to suppress certain communities’ votes is fierce and millions of Ohio voters neglected – or were prevented - from casting ballots in 2016. The voting public must be equally intense in fighting back in 2020. If we do not defend our rights now, there might not be another opportunity.

Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, D.Min, at drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org

 
  

Copyright © 2019 by [The Sojourner's Truth]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 10/29/20 09:23:23 -0400.

 

 


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