BALLOT BOXING: DEMOCRACY IS ONLY AS STRONG AS ITS VOTERS

BY LUCY SANTORA

I believe in a version of American exceptionalism.

My version is rooted in one central theme: The United States undertakes every challenge with a recognizable fervor, and even if everything comes crashing down, we remain proud to be American. Call it whatever you want—arrogant, nationalist, whatever. But you can’t deny that it’s true.

The history of the United States is the story of the battle for an equitable democracy. It is a march toward an ever-more-majestic American dream. Empires fallen, wars won, rights secured, and after almost 250 years of forward momentum, everyone can cast their ballot on Election Day regardless of race, sexuality, gender, ethnicity, or creed.

Democracy has never been perfect. But ignoring it—not taking advantage of your right to vote— spits on the sacrifices of those Americans who gave their lives in defense of the democratic process. Americans have fought for a better life from the moment the first settlers set foot in Jamestown, from the Nineteenth Amendment to the Civil Rights Movement, to the pushback on new laws that aim to restrict voting. Somewhere along that fight, we started to take voting for granted.

I hope that in knowing how hard it was to come this far, we reject complacency and protect our rights.

We are exceptional because:

• People like Beto O’Rourke can challenge the status quo, even in parts of this country that run the deepest red or the bluest blue. No matter where you are, when you organize, you can force people to listen.

• Young Americans like Madison Cawthorn or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can be elected to Congress. In our country, you’re never too young or too different to have an impact on your community.

• When constituents felt they weren’t well represented, organizations like the Justice Democrats and Young Republicans National Federation stepped in to put new faces on the ballot. Strong women like Lauren Boebert and Ilhan Omar; they couldn’t be more different but still represent what it means to be American.

You are part of this exceptionalism.

Think about the next election—you start seeing ads in the local media and signs going up in your neighbors’ lawns. What do you do?
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Lucy Santora is a member of the Pacific Council and a senior analyst at Simon Everett. This article is an extract of her latest book, Ballot Boxing: Democracy Is Only as Strong as Its Voters.

The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Pacific Council.