Race is on the Ballot

Race is on the ballot this election. I have heard that a lot these last few weeks.

What that means is, of course, not altogether straightforward. For one, both campaigns seem to recognize the importance of Black turnout to their electoral success in key swing states.

For former Vice President Biden, it is about maximizing the turnout of his Black voting base. Analysts say he needs it to cement his potential lead in key states like Florida, “a complicated political patchwork that is difficult for Democrats to capture under favorable circumstances and all but impossible for them to win if there is any ebb in enthusiasm among Black voters.” In 2016, only 65 percent of Black Floridian voters cast ballots, compared to 73 percent in 2012.

Meantime, in Pennsylvania, Biden was at a “Souls to the Polls” event at a Philadelphia church yesterday. He is spending many of the final hours of the presidential race asking Black Pennsylvanians for their support and reminding them of the impact Black voters of Pennsylvania will have in what happens in the race for the White House.

For President Trump, peeling away Black votes from Biden’s base has the opposite effect. He has taken to making direct appeals, saying during a rally this weekend in Hickory, North Carolina, “To every Black American, I am asking you to vote on Tuesday!” He has gotten famous hip hop artists like Kanye West, Ice Cube and Lil Wayne to voice their support for his candidacy.

The horse race political focus has not cured the structural barriers and inequities to voting for Black Americans. And, so, race is also on the ballot in terms of plain access to our democratic process. Black and Latino voters are being flooded with disinformation via social media. Their ballots are disproportionately getting set aside. And polling places in their communities are being disproportionately shut down.

Finally, and most importantly, race is on the ballot in terms of results. The last few months have brought forward the many inequities and injustices facing Black people across the country. Consciousness has been raised. But what happens on November 3 could materially impact the policies and their effects on the lives of millions of families in communities across the country. And that is a tally we should all be watching.

Please vote. And please do it in person now, even if you received a mail-in ballot. Because race really is on the ballot.