Absentee voters of Wisconsin have received unsolicited texts regarding absentee voting to instill fear of voting in the upcoming election.
These texts have been targeted towards young voters in hopes to deter them from casting their ballots.
According to CNN, the intimidation texts briefly discouraged voting saying “don’t vote in a state where you’re not eligible,” and mentioned the fines attached to wrongful voting. The text message mentions Wisconsin statutes 12.13 and 6.18, which attach fines of up to $10,000 or 3.5 years in prison for wrongfully voting. This can be quite threatening to young voters.
Voters usually can cast their votes without fear of discrimination or intimidation. The Department of Justice has placed criminal and civil repercussions for “intimidation, threats and coercion throughout the voting process.” Therefore, these texts that young voters are receiving could have legal consequences for the people who formulated the messages.
Enacting your right to vote is important and meaningful. Some elections come down to just a few individual votes. For example, an article from Virginia Wesleyan University discussed in the 2018 primary election, a Baltimore County election was decided by just 17 votes. This could be a similar case in just a few weeks. However, this is not the only reason to vote. Here are several more reasons why:
It’s your right to vote
We live in the United States, where the right to vote is given to us as citizens.
Unfortunately, in lots of countries, some may not have similar opportunities. We should take advantage of the opportunity we have to vote in leaders to represent our country – it’s our given right.
Our elected leaders represent our needs
Voting allows us to elect officials who we feel represent our societal needs the best, on all types of levels. Our leaders represent the communities, so voting in people whose agenda aligns with your needs, is exceedingly important.
Votes impact all areas of life
Voting in an election doesn’t just determine who will be our President. There are many local officials on your ballot, which directly influence your community needs. However, on a larger scale, voting means that the people you elect could appoint others to lifelong commitments on the Supreme Court. These decisions are impactful to everyday life, which makes this so vital.
It’s important to note, that if you are planning to vote absentee in the upcoming election, your vote still matters and is important. If absentee voting is something that is stress-inducing, there are a variety of ways to vote on campus.
CNN explained how the Wisconsin Election Commission’s Guide to Student Residency allows students to vote if they “reside in an election ward for at least 28 consecutive days before the election and have no present intent to move.”
Leaving temporarily, even for a weekend trip back home, doesn’t disqualify your 28 consecutive days. If you live in a dorm room or have an off-campus residence, you most likely have lived in an election ward for 28 consecutive days.
Most campuses have a way to vote on campus as well. For example, UW Oshkosh will be using the Culver Family Welcome Center as a polling place where students who live on campus can cast their ballots. As long as you are registered and have a valid form of ID, you can cast your vote. Don’t let registration stop you though, as you can register on Election Day if needed.
Don’t let intimidating texts deter you from voting absentee as well. As long as you’ve requested a mail-in ballot from your usual polling place and mail it back before the required date, you’re eligible to vote absentee.
There are many ways to get involved with voting and I encourage you to find an avenue of voting that works best for you. As a democracy, the US has given power to the people. We must remain active in our election process and use that power to elect qualified, representative candidates. Be sure to get out and vote on Nov. 5th!
