‘Enemies of Democracy’: Republicans are trying to suppress the vote any way they can

People protesting voter supression

Flickr / Michael Fleshman

If you encounter militia groups carrying weapons at your voting booth on November 3rd — will you still vote?

This is not a rhetorical question.

American voters may face “heavily armed MAGA patriots” at the polling booths.

Voter suppression is as old as the vote itself. Since the Founding Fathers shaped America, the powers that be have attempted to hold the reins against the popular vote. In 1890, Judge Solomon Saladin Calhoon, president of the constitutional convention in Mississippi, charged his delegates with the mission of keeping Black men from voting in Mississippi.

This preceded nearly a century of systemic voter suppression in the United States through literary tests, poll taxes, and even voter intimidation.

Today, Donald Trump has brought voter suppression back to the forefront of the national dialogue. The bitter lines of partisanship dividing the country cast an ominous shadow over the upcoming election.

Trump cuts funding to the USPS

Demonstrators supporting the USPS

Flickr / Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association

In August, the President attempted to hamstring voting rights, when he announced he opposed further funding to the United States Postal Service.

He has repeatedly warned that mail-in and absentee voting pose the risk of fraud, even though numerous studies refute his claims, and in September, it came to light that Team Trump was discussing “contingency plans to bypass election results.”

The President admits it

Shot from the RNC

Wikimedia

The President already assured us of this plan himself.

When Trump was asked during a press conference, “Will you commit to making sure there is a peaceful transferral of power after the election?”

He responded, “We’ll want to have — get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very — we’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer frankly, there’ll be a continuation.”

Ominous.

‘Heavily armed MAGA patriots’ preparing for Election Day

Person holding a Trump flag riding through Portland

Screenshot / YouTube

These warnings are already beginning to take shape, as far-right groups confirm they are preparing to go to polling places, armed with “concealed weapons.”

Stewart Rhodes is the leader of a far-right group called the Oath Keepers. He told the Los Angeles Times that his members would “be out on Election Day to protect people who are voting.” QAnon is a conspiracy group that has been making the headlines recently. They reached notoriety through the claim that a group of Satanic pedophiles in the “deep state” is seeking to take control from Trump.

The Times reported that a QAnon-affiliated group has described “heavily armed MAGA patriots” getting ready for Election Day.

Cassie Miller is a senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Miller told the Times:

Chances are really high that we’re going to see militia members, armed groups, or Trump supporters who are armed at the polls. Not only are these people willing to participate in voter intimidation, but they’re hoping to create this chaotic moment.

He warned, “there’s an unwillingness to accept anything but a Trump victory.” Fears are already being realized as reports come to light of people being intimidated at early voting stations.

Detroit trolls hand themselves in

Wikimedia

Two men, Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman turned themselves in to the Detroit police for voter intimidation. The pair were guilty of around 85,000 robocalls designed to hold back voter turnout in Detroit.

Wohl and Burkman allegedly brought a film crew when they went to hand themselves over to the police. Richard Cunningham is the chief of the criminal division of the state attorney general’s office. According to Cunningham, they were also flashing $100 dollar bills “with the expectation they’ll pay the money and walk out the door.”

He accused the two men of making a “mockery” of the system.

Hillary Clinton accuses Trump campaign of encouraging voter intimidation

A photograph of Hillary Clinton.

Flickr / Gage Skidmore

Last Tuesday, Hillary Clinton and Stacey Abrams held a virtual fundraising event to raise money for their political organizations. During the online event, both accused the Trump campaign of trying to intimidate people to stop them from voting in the upcoming election. They also warned that there was a strong likelihood that Republicans would go to court if they lost.

Abrams is a former legislator for the state of Georgia and rising star in the Democrats Party. She said:

They have recruited 50,000 people who will be deployed as intimidators. Let’s be clear, this isn’t paranoia. They are enemies of democracy.

Trump encourages his own ‘army’

A photograph of maga hats

Screenshot / Business Insider

The President has come under fire for apparently egging on the “Army of Trump” when he tweeted out a recruitment call asking people to volunteer to be a ‘Trump Election Poll Watcher’. The included link led to armyoftrump.com.

The hashtag #ArmyOfTrump is now being used to denounce Democrat voters and there are fears the poll watchers could use intimidation tactics to discourage or prevent people from voting for Joe Biden.

Long lines are also a form of voter suppression

People standing in line to vote wearing face masks

Screenshot / YouTube

Early voting has started in several states, and the lines have been out of control. People have waiting in line for hours, waiting to cast their vote.

Americans will not let their democracy be taken away from them

Two toothpick flags

Flickr / Marco Verch

Against the grim warnings of voter intimidation and violent post-election scenarios — early voting has brought tidings of hope. While the scenes of voters in queues that snake for blocks can be enraging. The fact that some voters are battling 12 hours wait times has fortified the spirits of many across the nation.

As of Friday, 22 million Americans have already voted in this election. At this point in 2016, only about 6 million people had made it to the polls.

Every vote counts.

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