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Blog PostMarch 16, 2022
Right now, the world is watching in real time as Vladimir Putin wages war on the democratic country of Ukraine. The stories of regular civilians, including women and children, fighting back against Russian aggression are inspiring and scary at the same time. At home in the US, many of our leaders are trying to determine the best way to help the Ukrainian people while avoiding World War III.
Our hearts are with the people of the Ukraine. As Virginia Kase Solomón of LWVUS has stated, “An attack on democracy anywhere is an attack on democracy for all of us. We stand in the belief that democracy will always prevail both internationally and right here at home."
An attack on democracy anywhere is an attack on democracy for all of us. We stand in the belief that democracy will always prevail both internationally and right here at home.
As the war has taken over the news cycle, assaults on our own democracy also continue unabated. Bills are being introduced in legislatures throughout the country that would make it more difficult for eligible citizens to vote. Other bills would impede the ability of election officials to do their job, replacing them with partisan hacks, negating the power of the people. Many election officials are resigning after being subject to threats and harassment for performing their jobs with integrity.
And while our own state is working towards expanding voter access with Early Voting (EV) appearing on the ballot in 2022, national noise continues to mislead and make too many people question how votes are cast and counted in Connecticut.
And no one is immune to being misled - we have all fallen for it at one point or another. We’ve all read something on the internet or heard something on the news and failed to fact check the information before internalizing and sharing it, because it aligns with what we already believe.
Out of all the confusion, one thing is clear: too many Connecticut voters do not understand Connecticut’s elections process.
As the League has pointed out time and again, there are checks and balances in every step of the process, such as:
- Each town/city is required to have two Registrars: a Republican and a Democrat.
- There must be equal party representation among poll workers—rules must be followed, poll workers must be trained, everything must be done by the book, all of which is written into our election laws.
As we move closer to the election in November, it will be the League’s top priorities to:
- Educate and help voters understand the importance of voting “yes” on the Early Voting ballot question so that our state can offer voters another in-person voting option in addition to Election Day.
- Help sort fact from fiction so that voters can better understand how our Connecticut elections are performed with the highest level of integrity.
And finally, March is Women’s History Month. While we must acknowledge our progress towards fuller inclusion in all aspects of public life, we still have a long way to go. Women’s lagging wages for equal work, the bogged down Equal Rights Amendment, and the prohibitive cost and lack of availability of childcare are just a few of the entrenched obstacles in the way of gender equity.
Rather than dwelling on the present inertia, why not step back and be inspired by stories of the brave women who helped secure the right to vote in Connecticut? Join us virtually on Thursday, March 24, to learn more about and celebrate the Connecticut women of color who fought for suffrage in our state during the early 20th century. Read more and register HERE.
Onward,
Laura Smits
President
League to which this content belongs:
Connecticut
