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Before voting, take the time to research facts and use your brain to connect the dots—instead of blindly drinking the Kool-Aid peddled by Trump and his hogwashing allies. In the same vein, avoid mindless consumption of the extreme left’s Kool-Aid.

Vote rigging: Coming to your town?

All too clear and documentable are current right-wing aims to destroy the tenets of our democratic republic. Most egregious is the attempt to destroy a free and fair vote.

If current red state efforts succeed, our voting system is on track to become subject to the will and falsification of the few. For example, giving state legislatures and officials the right to invalidate the will of the people because it doesn’t go their way is one way autocrats and oligarchs take and keep power.

On a positive note, Congress has passed legislation to close loopholes that enabled Trump to promulgate pandemonium in the last election. However, a spate of red states are enacting legislation and trying to elect people who clearly want the power to overturn races that don’t go their way. And instead of expanding legitimate, verifiable voting options to increase the number of voters, they’re playing a game of attrition—in essence throwing up roadblocks to disadvantaged, economically-challenged, and minority voters.

Those voters, who should have equal rights and opportunities, are clearly being marginalized in hopes that they won’t vote. (By the way, I’ve always supported a government-issued picture ID or driver’s license as part of the verification process. In this day and age, I believe everyone who’s legit should be able to acquire these types of credentials. But some of the other stuff is just crazy and discriminatory.)

Questionable ballot disqualification processes, potential voter intimidation at polling places, and dire “the sky is falling” threats made through a variety of communications channels further complicate the ability to conduct fair and free elections.

Any way you look at it, the fix is in for a number of red states. Anytime a system stacks the deck to make it easy for the will of the few to override “We, the People,” tyranny and authoritarian government aren’t far behind.

What can every voter do to make their vote all it can be?

Examine preferences based on factually-documented issues, not politics or personalities. Be willing to dive deep among a variety of respected sources to discover the truths behind these issues. Then, and only then, make a selection based on what you believe and support as much as possible. In many cases, it won’t necessarily be clear-cut. Important hint: DON’T automatically believe anything heard on Fox News, CNN, or any other single media source; and DON’T let ludicrous conspiracy theories on social media or elsewhere get you fired up to vote for propaganda peddlers.

Make it count. While typically fairly straightforward and easy in some states such as Colorado, voting can require some extra effort and time depending on local requirements. At the end of the day, vote-rigging is most likely to succeed when those feeling disenfranchised or inconvenienced simply don’t vote. If your ballot is rejected, lost, or unlikely to arrive in time, take the time to determine what if any measures are in place to recast the ballot—in-person if warranted.

Encourage your friends, family, co-workers, and others in your various communities—from social clubs to religious institutions—to adopt the two recommendations above.

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