Never doubt the American voter

A photograph of a woman waving an American flag while sitting in a sunny field.

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Democracy is over.

The election deniers will take control of our legislative bodies.

Your vote won’t count.

2022 will be the last time we have a free election.

No. No. No.

And no.

Democracy bent but didn’t break. Why? Because our 235-year streak of democracy can’t simply be defeated by the MAGA nuts, authoritarian cravers, fraudsters, liars and masked cowards coated in Kevlar with guns pointed at drop boxes.

For all the criticism the American voter has taken of late – we’re lazy, we don’t vote in the midterms, we take everything for granted, we’re governed by apathy, young people don’t show up – when the chips were down and democracy needed a boost, we all showed up. And Latinos helped lead the way.

It feels great

Voting is addictive. There’s nothing like the feeling of walking out of the voting booth or depositing your ballot in the drop box. It’s euphoric. It feels like you just had a great workout at the gym. And it’s your civic duty. Once you turn on your personal voting spigot you’ll be hooked.

The job’s not done yet

A Welcome to Georgia sign

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On December 6th, Senator Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker will face-off in Georgia in a runoff for the final Senate seat. “But the Democrats already have the majority clinched. What difference does a 51st seat make?” If you’ve been following the proceedings in the Senate the past two years, the simple answer is that Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are democracy-adjacent on a good day and unreliable partners on all the others.

But I’m sick of voting

Democracy is like a classic sports car. It needs an oil change and some regular maintenance to function well. You know what the alternative to not voting is? Having your right to vote taken away. Generation after generation of humans have fought for the right to vote and the right to continue to vote. Remember, it’s called Election Day not Election Year. You have the other 364 days of the year to not vote.

If you’re in Georgia or know anyone in Georgia it’s time to get out there one more time. It’s like a Christmas present to our country. Vote. Because if you don’t vote you relinquish the right to complain. And the battle for that last remaining Senate seat is empowering beyond your states’ borders.

Judicial appointments and committee edges

A photograph of a gavel and the scales of justice.

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Anyone who believes that – because “the VP breaks all ties so this extra seat is meaningless” – is forgetting about two key factors. Judicial appointments and committee edges.

If there is a 50-50 Senate there’s an official power sharing agreement between the two parties. Thus, some of the committees, including the judiciary, end up evenly divided. With the one-vote difference for the Democrats, they would have the advantage in every committee.

Democratic control of the Senate also ensures a smooth sailing for cabinet appointments and judicial picks, including Supreme Court openings.

Democracy Insurance

There have also been instances when a Senator is unable to be there for a floor vote due to the birth of a child, Covid-19, a heart ailment or other health issues. In that case, forty-nine votes would fall short.

2024 looks challenging

Capitol building

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The 2024 Senate map will be extra challenging. Overall, there will be 33 Senate seats up and Democrats will be defending 23 of them; the Republicans just 10. So, every seat that can be secured now is imperative to keep any potential future losses to a minimum.

‘One vote can change a lot’

Poder Latinx, a nonpartisan group that focuses on mobilizing Latino voters, has set a goal of knocking on 20,000 Georgia doors before the runoff. You can also phone bank from whatever state you live in.

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