The day had come, my first endeavor into the voting booth. Many had died and suffered for my right to vote. From the days of voter intimidation, discrimination, reading test that even the person administrated them didn't understand, to the days in which I have to convince my friends to vote because their grandmothers and grandfathers fight for it. Living, presently in America as Black American voting is a strange issue. Growing up I never really saw my mother vote, but she often said she did, which is good considering the circumstances I was raised in could easily lead to voter disillusionment on the part of my mother. But, my mother carried on and did what she could to affect the outcome of the election. Two days ago when I voted for the first time I felt a little strange. The New York Times did an article a couple of weeks ago citing, "29 percent versus 8 percent — say they do not believe that their vote will be accurately tallied." The article citied a number of reasons for the increase in black voters lack of confidence, "Voting experts say the disillusionment is the cumulative effect of election problems in 2000 and 2004, and a reaction to new identification and voter registration laws.
Long lines and shortages of poll workers in lower-income neighborhoods in the 2004 election and widespread reports of fliers with misinformation appearing in minority areas have also had a corrosive effect on confidence, experts say."
When I arrived at my polling place it was located behind a church, and a older man was just setting up the sign indicating that this was an official polling place. (which was strange since voting started at 6 am and it was 10:30 am) I asked the man were was the voting taken place? "Behind the church." he responded. I parked and walked behind the church...First of all, I got a strange feeling walking behind the church, possibly a combination of the suspicious looking polling location, or maybe the predominate white neighborhood I my polling place was located. (I attend a school on the south side of Indianapolis were there is very few black families) or maybe I was just nervous for no reason.
As I walked into the polling place, I was asked for my ID, and he looked up my name on the registration form, after much searching (I noticed my name before he did). Then I preceded to the voting booth and mark my choices. I had a question about the voting form and a young lady answered quite nicely and I inserted my voting form and exited stage right.
Overall my experience was quite conformable. I didn't have to contend with long lines, which I am sure my mother had to deal with on the East side of my city. Although it was fairly easy for me I could see how a less informed black person could feel intimidated by the whole process. Especially, if they left an ID at home, or didn't know about the requirement to bring an ID. Or like what happened in Milwaukee, "...[A] neighborhood had been flooded with fliers from the Milwaukee Black Voters League, a fictitious group, saying that even minor infractions like parking tickets disqualified people from voting." These sort of tactics easily could discourage voters of a lower income status. Unfortunately, being black and poor, one will have to deal with these sort of voter intimidation. But as Saleemah Affoul said, "I vote anyway because my forefathers worked too hard to win me that right. But not everyone feels that responsibility around here."
As a Black American You should feel that responsibility...
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I live in a predominately Black neighborhood and yet the poll-workers at my polling place were predominately white. That right there was a signifigant reason that many of my neighbors didn't vote. And secondly, I know for a fact that they accept 17 different forms of ID, and yet the poll workers were consistently turning people down for not having a driver's license. I did report them and they did correct that issue about midway through the day. but still, that's hundreds of potential votes that are just lot now.
When you said that you felt strange, when you voted for the first time,It made me think that maybe voting is not such a bad thing. It seems that everyone who votes is confident and know exactly what they're doing, which is not always the case. Honestly, I do not trust the voting system and I think that regardless of all the rules, its not 100% trustworthy. However, you do not seem intimidated or affected by the risk of corruption, which is good. I think that the younger generation can help improve the stigma about voting and encourage non-believers like myself to take the chance and exercise our right to vote.
I voted for the first time this election, and like many was worried that my vote wouldn't be counted. I live in one of the countries that had to have a mandatory recount in 2000, and since then many have worried that their vote wouldn't be counted. Many of us found false security in using the paper ballads, false because some earlier voter paper ballads had disappeared. I also have many friends that chose not to vote, because they figured that their vote wouldn't count anyway, much like you, all I can say is voting a right that we have fought hard for, whether you are a minority, a woman, or All-American, and to not vote is to ignore a responibility that everyone over 18 has.