Episode 291: What Power Does Your Vote Have?
At the top of every #SundayCivics class, L. Joy states “Civics just doesn't begin and end on Election Day,” yet, there are still folks that treat voting as the beginning and the end of democracy. This episode she helps us gain clarity on what our vote actually does and brings Rashad Robinson back to the front of the class.
A question we hear each election is Who do I vote for? L Joy appeals to us to change that question to What am I giving this person the power to do? She breaks down that the ballot is a tool in a much larger civic process. It helps determine who gets the power to make laws, spend our tax dollars, oversee agencies, appoint judges and the like, and influence a myriad of issues from housing to education to the environment and more. Participating in the voting part of the civic process maters even when one individual vote doesn’t determine an election.
L. Joy’s interview with Rashad Robinson discussing his new book From Presence to Power, adds additional nuance to the topic of voting. Rashad explains that there is a distinction between visibility and representation from actual power using the examples of having a seat in the room, media attention, or achieving representation being valuable, but the power lies in the ability to compel decision makers and institutions to change rules and move differently. To help color our understanding, Rashad describes voting as stretching, further stating that stretching alone does not make a person strong and healthy, but skipping stretching can undermine everything else.
Do Now
Understand the authority you are delegating before deciding who should receive it.
Check your voter registration. Make sure your name, address, and other registration information are accurate and current.
Find your sample ballot. Before focusing on individual candidates, identify every office that will appear on the ballot.
For each office, ask:
What power does this office actually have?
What can this official do — and what can they not do?
What decisions will they make?
What public money or budget authority do they influence?
Do they make appointments?
Who are they accountable to?
How can you engage with that office after Election Day?