
2 minute read
AMERICA IS LOSING ITS DEMOCRACY
from Fall Magazine 2022
ADRIAN BAYARDO // STAFF
What happens when the American people begin to fear that their ballot won’t be counted? Or worse, that an election has been stolen? America has prided itself on being a functioning democracy ever since it declared itself an independent nation in 1776. Specifically, America was designed to be a representative democracy, meaning the people are represented in Congress through their elected officials. In recent years, there has been an astonishing increase in mistrust in both election results and elected officials. Online conspiracies have greatly contributed to this, and have threatened the integrity of American elections altogether. The consequences of these election conspiracies may inhibit our ability to have a peaceful election in the foreseeable future.
Advertisement
2020 was an unprecedented year in many ways, but especially when it came to voting. President Trump had been a polarizing candidate from day one, and on his re-election campaign he claimed numerous times that his victory was certain, and that the only feasible possibility of his defeat would be the result of a “stolen election”. So, on November 7th 2020 when it was announced that Senator Joe Biden was the projected winner, thousands took to the streets to protest a “stolen election”. With this, America was officially plunged into a political divide unlike any other. On January 6th, 2021, the world watched in horror as a terrifying assault on the nation’s capital unfolded. Tens of thousands of furious Trump supporters gathered to storm the Capitol, waving Trump flags and chanting obscenities in the halls of the capitol. Their goal, to halt Congress’s certification of the votes from the 2020 election and keep President Donald Trump in office. Millions of Americans watched the riots live, and began to question the integrity of our government as a whole. After all, what is the point of a free and fair election if one party can claim their victory with no evidence to support it?
With the midterm elections upcoming this November, several things are at stake, from reproductive rights to control of the Senate and House of Representatives. This election will determine the path America will follow for the next two years and it is crucial that every eligible voter makes their voice heard. Unfortunately, due to the controversies and conspiracies seen in our last elections, there will be an element of fear and uncertainty in voters this year. This phenomenon is driving some people away from the ballot box, and it leaves room for more extreme candidates to be elected and extreme measures to be passed without opposition. The consequences of this will be dire, and the continuation of this trend could threaten America’s status as a democracy altogether. The solution? The American people need to have their faith restored in our electoral system, only then will it be possible to try to regain the democratic America we have lost.