From: Tom Vujovich
Columbus
Kudos to The Republic for the March 30 editorial “Voting bill does nothing to increase voting.” As the lead-in so accurately states, “Indiana has a real voting problem, but that’s not the problem that the state’s … lawmakers are interested in addressing.”
Three things about voting in Indiana are unassailably true:
1. We are mired in the bottom 10 states for voter turnout.
2. We already have some of the nation’s most restrictive election laws.
3. There is zero evidence of intentional fraud committed by absentee voters.
Yet, House Bill 1334 as passed by the House and Senate, with the support of our local representatives, does nothing to encourage civic participation through voting. It does just the opposite by making it harder for our citizens, especially senior citizens, to vote absentee-by-mail. This is just another example of our state legislature searching for solutions to problems that don’t exist. All the while, they neglect serious discussion and action on the real priorities facing our state like affordable healthcare, educating our children in a safe and nurturing environment, workforce development based on emerging technologies, infrastructure improvements and economic development.
And to think we pay them to do this!
While the state legislature evidently thinks being in the bottom 10 nationwide in voter turnout is acceptable, at least one Indiana organization is making an effort to get more people to the polls. The Indiana Citizen Education Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is working to revitalize the democratic foundations of civic engagement in our state. Through its platform, www.Indianacitizen.org, you can find unbiased information about candidates and elected officials, register to vote and track those in state government who play such an important role in the civic health of our state and our well being.
The top states in voter turnout chose to make voting easier, not harder. We could do that in Indiana but our elected leaders do not appear to be interested in addressing the chronic problem of our state’s anemic voter turnout.
