The Importance Of Voting Early

You are important to the campaign. 

Yes, you. As a registered Democrat, your state Democratic Party counts on your vote for Kamala Harris and down-ballot Democrats. That is why you've received a call, text, email, or physical pamphlet reminding you about the importance of voting. If you've requested a vote-by-mail ballot, you will likely be contacted by a campaign volunteer, making sure you received your ballot and that you have a plan to return it. If you plan on voting early in person, a volunteer will work with you to ensure you know the hours and locations to do so. If you aren't sure how you will vote, you will be instructed by a campaign volunteer to vote early and you will be provided instructions as to how to do so in your state. While all votes are counted the same in the end, the more Democrats who vote early, the better. Hence the priority of Democrats across the country to take advantage of early voting.

The reason for this is that Democrats are working with historically underserved communities. Since our nation's founding, the conservative party in this country has done everything in its power to maintain the patriarchy and White supremacy. To do this, it has worked tirelessly to ensure that Black people, immigrants, our indigenous communities, and women were not given equal access to the voting booth. One person = one vote has been a lie throughout our nation's history as conservatives have done everything in their power to make sure that non-White males face as difficult a time as possible to vote. The conservative-leaning Supreme Court overturning key provisions of the Voting Rights Act was no accident; it was simply the latest effort to make it as difficult as possible for non-Republican voters to cast a vote and to receive equal access to our participatory democracy.

Democrats know this. They know that historically marginalized communities that tend to vote Democrat are the same ones that Republican elected officials will target to make it as difficult to vote as possible. That's why you see Republicans screeching about non-existent voter fraud and using these faux fears to try to implement voter ID laws. It's telling that certain voter ID laws in red states will accept a hunting license but not a student ID. Examples like that clearly demonstrate that Republicans aren't concerned about the ID itself but the political leanings of the person presenting the ID. Forcing low-income voters of color to provide additional identification is a 21st-century poll tax that Republicans are more than happy to try and implement. Were it not for folks like Marc Ellis pushing back through the court system, we would have more and more examples of Republicans' overt efforts to undermine our democracy by limiting the right of every citizen to cast a ballot.

The solution to these underhanded tactics is to get our people with resources to vote early. Yes, there is a romanticism in voting on Election Day. But the truth is that voting early is so much more important for a political campaign as it helps clear away an entire pool of voters. Once you have voted, your name vanishes from the system, leaving those who have yet to vote as targets for the campaign. That way it is not you who is receiving the reminder phone call/text/canvasser but instead is a first-time voter or a person from an underserved community who is receiving that contact. It is a numbers game and having the more reliable Democratic voters vote early helps the campaign divert resources to those who need the extra push or extra assistance in getting to the polls on Election Day. By voting early, you are creating an opportunity for the campaign to reach these critical voters. 

Over the next 5 weeks, you'll see large numbers of Democrats voting early. This is no accident; it is a tried-and-true campaign strategy. Those voting early are ones with resources, who know the process of a mail-in or in-person vote. They are people like you and me who know that by voting early, we are removing ourselves from the pool of voters and creating space for the campaign to move on to the next pool of voters who may need a bit of extra support to make it to the polls on Election Day. With 35 days left, we must take advantage of early voting, especially for those who live in a swing state. An early vote essentially "banks" your vote and gets you out of the system, paving the way for organizers and campaign volunteers to focus on those who the GOP would prefer not to vote. It's a numbers game, and it's one that is only winnable if folks take it upon themselves to be team players and go out and vote as early as possible. It's a small thing, but it's incredibly important. 

And it's something that could very well make the difference in this election. 

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