A few days ago the article “Lone Star Rising: Voter Registration Soars Across Texas” was blasted in emails throughout many Texas mailing lists. In effect voter registration is on the rise and exceeding past years.
Well this week, the Lone Star State got its first indicator of whether the coordinated efforts of BGTX, Texas Democrats and other groups have made any sort of difference. It is not unfair to say that many around the country may be in for a shock. Here’s what’s going on, starting with the Houston Chronicle…
The number of Texans registered to vote in the state’s five largest counties increased by 2 percent since 2012, a reversal of the decline in total voter registrations that was seen before the last midterm election.
Nearly 150,000 more Texans in these counties are eligible to vote in November’s election between Greg Abbott and Wendy Davis than could vote in the 2012 presidential election, according to tallies released by Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties midday Monday, the last day to register.
[…]
Voter registration groups hailed the uptick in registration before a midterm election, which traditionally sees much lower turnout than during presidential years, as evidence that their efforts to register low-propensity voters had paid off. Five percent of those voting in Harris County are new registrants.
New voter registration is very high in Georgia as well though there seems to be some sort of activity to suppress processing. This is occurring in many other states as well.
Yet yesterday The Hill reported the following.
The Democratic Party’s worst fears about the midterm election look to be coming true.
Polling in recent weeks suggests turnout on Election Day could be very low, even by the standards of recent midterms. That’s bad news for Democrats because core groups in the liberal base are more likely to stay home than are people in the demographic segments that lean Republican.
A Gallup poll last week found that voters are less engaged in this year’s midterms than they were in 2010 and 2006. Only 33 percent of respondents said they were giving at least “some” thought to the upcoming midterms, compared to 46 percent in 2010 and 42 percent in 2006. Even more troubling for Democrats, Republicans held a 12-point advantage when those paying “some” attention were broken down by party.
Many working on the ground are seeing new voter registrants who are excited to participate. However if the Gallop poll is accurate, the middle class and the working poor is in trouble. With voter suppression in vogue in many Red States it is more imperative that all come out and show that voting is a constitutional right not to be messed with.
Who would be at fault if a low turnout reality comes through? Who would be at fault if ideologues who care nothing about the working middle class and working poor is elected? If you did not vote, you will.
The reality is our elected officials reflect the citizens that care enough to vote. We have a dysfunctional Congress because our electorate behave in a dysfunctional manner.
If those who care to vote have no real interest in a government that actively promotes middle class centric policies then that is exactly what we get. All Americans will be forced to abide by the bad policies reflected by the few.
The election is in about three weeks. This election is consequential because it will determine if the minimum wage is raised. It will determine if we get good immigration policies. It will determine if we continue on the path to affordable healthcare. It will determine if women’s rights are supported. It will determine if our environment is protected and much more.
Anyone staying at home that is a poor working person or a struggling middle class middle class person will be responsible for allowing the election of politicians who will materially hurt their families and financial well-being. Voting does matter. If one values family and country, if there is one time when one must vote, it is now. If you don’t vote, Democrats & Moderate Republicans will certainly lose and the working poor and the middle class will be further decimated.
Please share this with a promise to vote in this election.