There are some statewide elections today and this is a good time to be mindful of our voting rights. After the age of 18, any American citizen is allowed to vote in American elections. Allowed is the operative word. Recently, there have been many added processes that need to be fulfilled before an American citizen can exercise their right to vote. These new processes, that have been advanced by an overwhelmingly Republican majority of legislators, have a cost involved as well as maneuverings that are at times almost impossible to achieve. Our democracy was founded upon the ideal that our citizens would be involved on our political visions. When some of us pass laws that actually restrict our citizens from voting on initiatives and on those who would represent us, we have effectively disenfranchised the foundation of democracy. If ever there was a time to stand up in unison and shout down those who would defend restricting voting rights within our democracy, now is the time. Like a slippery slope, if we allow a few to take from us our rights, we open the way for them to take even more of our rights. Fighting for our rights should be as common as breathing, yet we seem to have fallen asleep to the dangers implicit within denying our democracy a democratic process. Their is gain for the Republican party in restricting voters by various obstacles of new and difficult voter registration requirements. Many young/old poor vote Democrats into office and by making it harder financially for them to remain as registered voters, Republicans have effectively shrunk the pool of voters that don't vote for them. This may help Republicans in the coming national elections but what is worse is that democracy is being whittled down to another form of political philosophy antithetical to democratic values.
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