By Camille Taylor
Recently Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has declared the election is rigged. He’s talked about “widespread voter fraud” and has encouraged his supporters to go to polls and keep watch on Election Day.
The Loyola Law School researched voter fraud and found that between 2000 and 2014 only 31 incidences of voter fraud occurred out of one billion votes cast. That’s right I said, “one billion!” So Mr. Trump’s assertions that voter fraud is “widespread” and that dead people and undocumented immigrant votes could alter the election are just not true.
While every eligible citizen is encouraged to vote, what will Trump’s rhetoric about a rigged election do to influence voters? Will Trump and his supporters accept the outcome of the election if Hillary Clinton is elected and allow for a smooth transition of power? Trump even stated in the last debate that he will look at it when the time comes and keep us in suspense. Trump has also alluded to voter fraud in bigger cities where higher concentrations of people of color live.
There is concern that in cities where “open carry” laws are in place, Trump supporters may be present near the polls with guns visible possibly intimidating and/or frightening voters. No one knows if any of this will happen, but Trump’s rhetoric has convinced his supporters that the election is being rigged without one piece of credible evidence. Consequently, there’s a lot of concern about what our country will be like the day after the election no matter who is elected.
Our democracy has always depended on the basic integrity of our electoral process and a smooth transition of power. America stands as a republic reliant on the U.S. Constitution to determine the presidential transition which occurs from the day of the US Presidential election until the 20th day of January as specified in the Twentieth Amendment.
I recently heard this quote: “Decency and civility are not old fashioned values, but timeless values.” This has not reflected the campaign season and has definitely discouraged many voters. President Obama called voting the “essence of exercising citizenship” and our “civic responsibility.” As a descendant of people who were not allowed to vote, I was raised to cherish this opportunity and to vote in every election. How many people have fought and died for all of us to have this right? No matter who you support or how uninspired you may be about this election or the candidates, deciding NOT to vote dishonors their sacrifice.
Camille Taylor, a retired Counselor from Normal Community High School, has been an educator in this community for 34 years. She is active in the community currently serving as a church elder and board member for both the Baby Fold and the YWCA. She has been recognized by the YWCA as a Woman of Distinction for education, a Martin Luther King Jr. award winner for the City of Bloomington, a Distinguished Alumni by the College of Education at Illinois State University, a Human and Civil Rights award winner for the Illinois Education Association, and the H.Councill Trenholm Award recipient from the National Education Association for her work with diversity. She lives in Bloomington with her husband, Arthur, and is a mother and grandmother.
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