In 2013, not all American citizens are allowed to vote [free] Ness White/Việt Tide There is just no way, I thought as I looked from one polling attendant to the next. I am an American citizen, a registered voter. How is it that I cannot vote? Having spent more than a year extensively covering the 2012 elections process for a local newspaper, I should have known that certain states – including my current state of Pennsylvania – do not allow non-affiliated voters, like me, to vote during primary elections. However, I forgot this fact and was unpleasantly surprised when reminded of it on May 21, 2013, Pennsylvania’s primary special Election Day. While presidential elections occur every four years and congressional, senate, statewide, and local elections occur every two years, special elections can be held yearly. Typically, these special elections are used to fill federal, statewide, and local governmental positions that have been vacated. Non-affiliated voters are voters who are not registered as either Democrat or Republican. While all registered voters are allowed to vote in every state during general elections occurring in the fall, there are states that have passed laws keeping non-affiliated voters from voting during primary elections. Primary elections are generally held between the winter and summer months, with the purpose of reducing the number of candidates down to two competitors for the fall vote. There are 20 states that use a “closed” primary system, where voters must vote based on their party, receiving a party-specific ballot at the polls. For example, Republican voters would be given a ballot where they could only choose among Republican candidates and likewise for Democrats. This system is believed to keep voters from “crossing over,” requiring them to maintain loyalty to their party. Though, a closed primary system also forces non-affiliated voters to choose between either not participating in the primary election process or giving up their non-affiliated status and registering as either Democrat or Republican. In states that use an “open” primary system – like California – non-affiliated voters are not subject to this type of decision-making and affiliated voters have the option of crossing over. But on May 21, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city, also known as the “City of Brotherly Love,” I felt like an out-cast, not a welcome part of the family. I felt like I was being punished for not choosing sides, punished for being independent, being free, being what the United States praises in its national anthem and claims to have historically, consistently fought for. After being turned away at the polls, I began to wonder about others like me, others who are also independent, non-affiliated. What does this “outsider” status mean for us who will not choose sides? How much of our freedom do we give away as we ironically proclaim ourselves free? * Non-affiliation among Asian Americans, Vietnamese Americans While covering the 2012 elections process, I participated in numerous conference calls and interviews – involving organizations like the Los Angeles-based Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) – regarding the Asian American vote. Among the information I learned, Asian Americans voters tend to be registered as non-affiliated, voting more along specific issues than along the Republican and Democratic Party lines. Within the local Vietnamese American community, there was a similar trend, with one-third of the community’s registered voters being non-affiliated. These non-affiliated voters are crucial during elections as they can drastically, unpredictably change the outcomes. Therefore, these non-affiliated voters wield a tremendous amount of power, a power – perhaps – that is feared by the competing Democratic and Republican parties. With organizations like the Washington D.C.-based Pew Research Center reporting that the Asian American population is dramatically rising, Asian American communities have become key targets during elections. The states of California, New York, Texas, New Jersey, Hawaii, Illinois, Washington, Florida, Virginia, and Pennsylvania are recorded in the 2010 Census as holding nearly three-fourths of the U.S. Asian American population. Of those states, four states – Hawaii, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania – have closed primary elections. What do closed primaries mean to communities containing a large portion of non-affiliated voters? Does this mean that a large portion of the – if not entire – communities are ignored during the primary voting process? What about communities consisting largely of members who fled their initial country for freedom? Are the members of these communities now forced to restrict and restrain themselves in order to participate, to vote in this “free” country? I know by now I might have upset some of my readers, though please continue to follow for just a bit longer. I understand that the United States is much freer than other countries and I am fortunate to be an American citizen. However, this country could and should be better. It could and should do more to practice what it preaches, what it promotes. This country should include all of its citizens, rather than exclude them from their most fundamental freedom: the vote. ------------- Article published in Việt Tide Magazine on May 31st, 2013. To subscribe to Việt Tide, please contact: 714-262-7028, baoviettide@yahoo Only $4/week.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:28:05 +0000
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