You may wonder, “What can I do to protect my voting rights?” You can take several actions to defend your rights. First, you must educate all government actors about your right to vote. Make voting easy and accessible for all eligible individuals. Second, you must ensure that election rules are transparent and free from violations of ballot secrecy. Third, you can lobby your state’s elected officials to make changes to election rules.
Prohibited from violating ballot secrecy
To protect voting rights, it is essential that observers be impartial and not act as law enforcement or advocates. In addition, election observers cannot use electronic devices or record the election. It is because their actions may disrupt the process or intimidate voters.
A breach of ballot secrecy could cause significant disruption to the integrity of an election. For example, malicious actors could try to obtain sensitive information by posing as a trusted entity in electronic communication. They could also break into computers and systems to gain administrator-level credentials. In addition, malicious programs could insert their code or modify existing computer programs. Trojan horses could also mislead users by pretending to be legitimate. Ransomware is an assault that threatens to disclose the victim’s data or permanently prohibits access to it unless the victim pays a ransom.
In addition to limiting the number of polling places, election officials must ensure that voting conditions are fair and reasonable. They must protect voters’ rights, including life and health. The city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, recently reduced polling locations from 180 to five. Observers have expressed concern this may have increased some voters’ risk to life and health.
As with all election laws, the rules of the polls are not set in stone. Observers and journalists should be aware of their limitations, including those that may limit their rights to newsgathering and speech.
Making voting easy and accessible
Making voting easy and accessible for all eligible voters is an essential step toward improving the electoral process in our country. Voting is not only a right but an obligation to be a citizen of a free country. It is essential to improve the voting system so that people of all backgrounds can participate in the democratic process.
Making voting accessible and easy for disabled voters is critical to ensuring that all Americans can cast their votes. However, this requires an intentional effort on the part of the government. For instance, the government must be more proactive in reviewing access concerns and ensuring that the voting process is accessible for all eligible voters during federal elections. Congress should commission a new GAO study examining the accessibility of elections across various categories and factors.
Election officials should ensure that voting facilities offer curbside voting options for voters with disabilities. These voters should be able to notify poll workers when they arrive and should be supervised by election officials. In addition, states should designate a chief voting accessibility officer who will assist policymakers in implementing these policies and ensuring that elections remain accessible.
The Center for Voter Access (CVA) is an organization that provides technical assistance to election officials and volunteers to ensure equal access for people with disabilities. It also conducts research to determine barriers to accessible voting and proposes solutions.
Enact changes to election rules
The Department of Justice is taking action to defend the right to vote, including expanding the pool of voting rights attorneys and carrying out audits after elections. It has also issued guidance on voting procedures, such as mail-in ballots and early voting. The DOJ has recently released guidelines on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act safeguards against voter dilution.
In Texas, GOP lawmakers have stepped up their legislative efforts to limit voting rights in the state. They have introduced significant changes to how people vote and targeted local efforts to make voting easier. Republican Governor Greg Abbott recently declared election integrity an emergency for the legislative session, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. GOP lawmakers have framed their push for SB 1 to safeguard elections and standardize election practices.