Janese Johnson

For many years, it was only the privileged. land-owning white male who was allowed to cast his vote for the candidates of his choice.

Everyone else simply had to put up with that choice.

Needless to say, all the laws and rulings from these votes represented only the interests of those voting. The interests of everyone else were not that important for the few privileged voters. Those voices were suppressed — today they would be called disenfranchised voters. Many have fought and died for the right of all people over the age of eighteen to have their vote and opinion matter.

Unfortunately the idea of disenfranchisement of voters has not disappeared with the times of old. In fact, in recent elections there is more evidence that it has been happening, and is even happening in a larger way, especially in areas of the poorer and minority populations. This has caused outrage among many people who believe in what a true democracy is.

Some people are throwing around the idea of voter disenfranchisement as a conspiracy theory. But evidence piling up, shows it to be a real tactic that is being used by some of the candidates, or their supporters, to help them win an election.

In one of many proven instances of voter suppression, Michigan state Rep. John Pappageorge, R-Troy, was quoted in the Detroit Free Press in 2004 as saying, “If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we’re going to have a tough time in this election.” African-Americans compose 83 percent of Detroit’s population.

It is illegal to disenfranchise voters who have the right to vote. Legal disenfranchisement originally ensured that only white householder males could vote. Up until 1856 voting was allowed only for white men who owned land. It then opened up to white men who didn’t own land, and then in 1870 it became legal for nonwhite males to vote. It wasn’t open for woman or Native Americans to vote until the 1920s.

But the sad truth is that poor people were still held back from voting by the poll tax that was mandated in federal elections. This law was not changed until 1964.

So when people are bringing up the evidence these days about how voters are being suppressed in many areas, and their votes are not being counted, it is important for us to take that seriously, and do what we can to prevent that from happening. A true democracy is allowing every voice to be heard.

There are also many people who vote only in the general election, but not in the other elections. Primary elections are very important for the selection process. This is where our vote gets heard on a lot of areas. This primary that is coming up is addressing whom we want to see not only in the White house, but in state-level and local-level positions as well. This is an important primary, and since many have fought for our right to vote, it seems doubly important to honor all those who have been prevented before us, to cast our vote today.

Voting is now made so easy that there is early voting available from April 17 through May 3. Buncombe County has its primary voting day on May 6. The areas and locations for voting can be found by calling the Buncombe County Board of Elections at 250-4200.

A sample of the ballot can be found on the Web at http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Election/.
There are some wonderful candidates  running who have the courage to listen to all our voices, and to act on what is in the best interest for the whole, not only the interest of the few.

Empowerment of all the voters can happen when we come together to have our voices heard. Because We the People is who we are, and who we have always been. Even when others were trying to say otherwise, We the People prevailed, and now voting is a right for most adults no matter what race, age, class, and religion that you are in.

I hope to see you at the polls.
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Janese Johnson has been doing intuitive counseling nationally for more than 20 years. She may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .