Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

Official newspaper of The University of Texas at Austin

The Daily Texan

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October 4, 2022
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Reclaiming our vote

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Audrey Williams

In an essay published posthumously the day he was laid to rest, John Lewis wrote, “The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.” In his parting words, the late congressman gave us a call to action and a warning: Our democracy is under attack. 

Modern-day voter suppression looks a bit different than it did in the 1960s — it is more insidious today. Perpetrators of voter suppression have swapped rabid dogs and violent cops with restrictive voter ID laws and confusing regulations. Poll taxes have been swapped for poll closures in Black and minority communities. These targeted attacks are no surprise, as voter suppression has always been a tool of white supremacy. As we work to dismantle systematic racism in the police force and education system, we must also dismantle the systems that prevent millions from voting every year. 

Voter disenfranchisement is not some relic of the past, but an ongoing fight that requires each of us to find ways to enact change. Texas is currently one of the top contenders in the nation regarding shutting down polling sites — closing more than 750 locations since 2012. Texas is one of the only states in the country where you can use a concealed handgun license to vote, but not a student ID. This is a state where, in 2019, the governor’s office attempted to kick nearly 100,000 voters off the voter rolls. The most recent offense has been refusing to put safeguards like vote-by-mail ballots in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, putting lives at risk for partisan gain. Those in power would rather quietly legislate away our rights than have you and I show up and vote. 


But there is a stealthier form of voter suppression that we must fight against, as years of powerful people telling younger generations our voices don’t matter have taken their toll. We’ve been taught that we don’t know enough to vote, that we don’t have enough lived experience to shape the future, that our one vote couldn’t possibly make a difference. Far too many of us have taken these messages to heart and allowed other people to take away our power. 

There are big, systematic changes that must be made to tear down barriers to the ballot box. But the most important thing we can do in the fight against voter suppression is to show up, even when it’s hard. Those of us that can must overcome the obstacles and the cynicism to become voters. As young voters, we must turn out in numbers so high they are irrefutable. We have to register. We have to request our ballots by mail or make a safe plan to vote in person. This year, we must reclaim our power as voters. 

Charlie Bonner is the MOVE Texas communications director and graduated from UT-Austin in 2018. 

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Reclaiming our vote