Kristi Noem’s recent statements, suggesting that Donald Trump is working to ensure “the right people voting” ahead of midterm elections, have certainly sparked quite a bit of discussion and concern. The phrase itself, “the right people voting,” is loaded with implications and immediately brings to mind questions about who decides who the “right people” are and, more importantly, what that means for the democratic process. It sounds like a sentiment that’s being framed as a positive step toward ensuring trustworthy elections, but it also carries a heavy undertone of exclusion, raising red flags about the very essence of universal suffrage.
This idea of proactively ensuring “the right people voting” and electing “the right leaders” seems to imply a curated electorate, one that aligns with a specific political agenda rather than representing the broader will of the people.… Continue reading
President Trump’s actions surrounding the upcoming White House governors dinner and his obsession with the 2020 election results suggest a plan to “steal” future Republican victories. This includes potentially pardoning figures who could corroborate debunked election fraud claims and advocating for the “nationalization” of elections by Republican control in key areas. A recently passed House bill, though unlikely to become law, aims to enable voter suppression by tightening identification rules and allowing the Department of Homeland Security to seize voter rolls. If the November midterm election results are close, the scenario could become dire, with attempts to delegitimize the outcomes and potentially prevent the seating of newly elected members, echoing past efforts to overturn election results.
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Following the Republican-controlled State Board of Elections’ closure of campus polling places at Western Carolina University, UNC Greensboro, and NC A&T, students now face significant distances to vote. Despite a federal judge rejecting a lawsuit to reopen these sites and election officials downplaying the impact, hundreds of students in North Carolina have organized marches and utilized shuttle services to reach their new, distant polling locations. This situation is viewed by students as part of broader Republican efforts to restrict voting access, echoing historical struggles for civil rights on college campuses.
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Matt Underwood 
John Q. Hosedrinker