I Won’t Let Voter Suppression Stop Me From Making My Voice Heard—and Neither Should You
I know what it’s like to face intimidation. Fourteen domestic terrorists were recently charged in a plot to kidnap and likely kill me. When this kind of hate and violence is directed at you, it’s jarring.
Before I became the target of a domestic-terror plot—which still sounds more like an episode of Scandal than something that happened to me—President Trump had been attacking me for months. In fact, the death threats track closely with the president’s attacks. There’s no coincidence there. When our leaders speak, their words matter.
And right now, the president is turning his offensive on someone else, and that’s you. And your right to a voice and a vote in this election. The president and his allies are attempting to suppress the vote, but we cannot be deterred.
There’s too much at stake. Now, more than ever, we must vote.
We need, and deserve, a president who will get this pandemic under control—and that person is not Donald Trump. Every day, I think about my daughter and kids like her, who missed high school graduation. I think about weddings, family reunions, and holidays missed. I think about the young women who are trying to land a job or advance their careers in the midst of widespread layoffs and pay cuts. I think about all the moms—some have lost their jobs, some are heading into frontline jobs without protection they need, and some are working from home while logging their kids into Zoom, trying to get in a load of laundry, and maintain their sanity. And I think of so many who haven’t seen their moms since this thing began.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris can get us through this crisis. They’ll be honest with us and understand the science so we can safely get back to school, to work, and reconnecting with our families. They’ll do more than just that though. They’ll build this country back better for women across this country. They’ll ensure equal pay for equal work, address the caregiving crisis, tackle health care disparities and expand educational opportunities. They’ll make life better for women and our families. We must fight voter suppression efforts and show up to elect the Biden-Harris ticket.
Threats on the women’s vote are not new. Women, particularly women of color, have been dealing with this far too long—from the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment to the Voting Rights Act. Women have been threatened, harassed, heckled, attacked, ridiculed, and suppressed from casting their votes. But nevertheless we persisted, because voting is a fundamental American right.
Joe Biden is doing everything in his power to ensure that no one throws up a barrier to our votes. He has launched the biggest voter protection program in history with thousands of staff, lawyers, and poll watchers on the ground across states so every eligible voter can cast a ballot.
The women of this country will be heard, whether Donald Trump likes it or not. American women have had enough of the rhetoric, enough of the dishonesty, and enough of the incompetence and hubris.
As women, we have grit and heart—and we are tough as hell. And that’s why I know we’ll show up to the polls in record numbers this year and decide this election. We will not be bullied. We will not be intimidated. We will be courageous. We will overcome any obstacles that we encounter. And we will make our voices heard.
We will vote. And I hope you’ll join me in voting for Joe Biden. Visit iwillvote.com today to make your plan to vote early.
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