Seniors have power to impact country, state
By Tania Soussan
We hear it almost every four years: There’s more at stake than ever before in this presidential election. This year, that just might be true.
“Every single poll that’s asked people, ‘Do you think democracy is in a state of fragility?’ ‘Do you have faith in democracy?’ and even more individual questions — ‘Do you think your vote counts?’ — all of those are at dangerously high levels, probably the highest we’ve seen,” said University of New Mexico political expert Gabe Sanchez.
Sanchez, a political science professor and executive director of the UNM Center for Social Policy, said two factors are making this “a more important critical election than most of us have seen in our lifetime.”
The first is the role of the president in nominating Supreme Court justices and other federal judges. “Anyone watching the news realizes it matters,” he said.
The second issue raising the overall perception of the importance of the political process is the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in July, he said.
Kathy Brook, co-president of the League of Women Voters of New Mexico, agreed that the state of democracy is a topic of conversation more this year than in the past.
In a bipartisan Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service Battleground Civility poll this spring, more than 80 percent of people across party lines said they believe democracy in America is being threatened. A strong majority of 68 percent of voters also said they are not happy with the way democracy works in our country, and only 38 percent said they were either extremely or very certain that the 2024 elections will be conducted fairly.
This is despite the fact that the Elections Performance Index, which is managed by the MIT Election Data and Science Lab, has charted steady improvement in how elections have been administered over the last decade in virtually every state.
Election procedures in New Mexico
While New Mexicans share the nation’s concerns about threats to democracy, Sanchez said, they generally feel less negative than Americans as a whole.
New Mexico ranked first among states for performance in the 2022 election based upon indicators such as turnout, registration rate, incidences of rejected ballots, voting wait times, and other voting issues.
In addition, the 2023 New Mexico Voting Rights Act helps protect the democratic process by:
- Mandating same-day voter registration at all polling places and at least two monitored secure ballot drop boxes per county
- Ensuring automatic voter registration at the Motor Vehicle Division
- Restoring the right of previously incarcerated individuals to vote upon their release
- Creating a voluntary permanent absentee voter list so voters can opt to automatically receive an absentee ballot for statewide elections
- Prohibiting the transfer or publication of voter data online
- Enacting the nation’s first Native American Voting Rights Act, which ensures tribes have access to the same voting resources as other New Mexicans
Brook said the League of Women Voters was founded to educate voters but has broadened its mission. The league’s national Making Democracy Work® campaign, launched in 2016, advocates for election of the president by popular vote and other measures to improve the voting system and reform the role of money in politics.
AARP also serves as a resource for its members — who all are aged 50+ — and the public. As a nonpartisan organization, AARP does not endorse campaigns, candidates or political platforms. However, it does encourage and help seniors to vote. Information is available at www.aarp.org/nmvotes.
Seniors’ impact on elections
When it comes to influencing elections and the democratic process, seniors are well positioned to have a significant impact. They consistently log the highest voting rate in the U.S. and have the advantage of having lived through many election cycles.
“They’re already engaged,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez, Brook, and other experts offer the following suggestions for seniors to be involved on Election Day and beyond:
- Vote all the way to the end of the ballot — Voting, of course, is a critical way to play a role in democratic government and make sure your voice is heard. Yet some people make the mistake of neglecting the lower-profile races and issues at the bottom of the ballot.
“One thing all of us, including seniors, can do is pay attention to the down-ballot races like bond issues that sometimes get short shrift, especially in a presidential year,” Brook said.
- Become a poll worker — Most seniors are retired and have the luxury of time. By acting as a poll worker, either during early voting or on Election Day, you can help make sure all voters (including those with disabilities or who need language assistance) have a positive experience when they cast their ballot at a polling place. Election officials often have trouble finding enough people to fill all the positions needed to ensure a smooth election. Poll workers receive training and earn a little cash for their efforts. Contact your county clerk’s office for information.
- Get educated — Being a responsible voter and active member of the democratic process requires some knowledge about the issues. Luckily, there are plenty of resources. For example, the League of Women Voters Education Fund maintains a vote411.org website. Type in your address to get voting information, candidate details, and links to additional resources. Local and national media also provide coverage on important issues. Always be careful about where you get your information. Social media, watercooler chat, and other sources might be inaccurate or biased.
- Influence people in your network — The breadth of experience that is a benefit of reaching 50+ makes seniors well positioned to have an impact on the people in their circle, including family, friends, colleagues and others. Polls have found that many American voters distrust media but do trust others in their network. Personal contact matters, Sanchez said.
“The role (seniors) can play is actively engaging and mobilizing other Americans to participate,” Sanchez said. “They can have a calming presence. They can say, ‘Yeah, absolutely things are bad right now, but they’ve been bad before and we’ve lived through it.’”
Brook added that seniors can offer reliable information and even change minds. No matter what, chatting with other people is better than talking back to your TV or cellphone screen, she said.
Again, though, it’s important not to repeat information unless you’re confident of the sources and the quality of what you read or hear.
- Think beyond elections — Once the dust settles after Election Day, you can stay involved in what the people we vote into office are doing, and you can continue participating in the democratic process through community organizations.
Contribute time and/or money to groups doing the right thing in your community. For example, volunteer with a school literacy program or a neighborhood cleanup.
By engaging in this way, we can build trust in our communities and move away from confrontational dynamics, Brook said.
“Just in your own way, try to contribute to a lessening of hostility. If enough people participate, that can make a difference,” she said.
- Talk to your representatives — Seniors, like anyone else, can engage with their members of Congress and other elected officials, applying pressure on matters of importance simply by expressing their opinions. Sanchez said this can have considerable impact. U.S. and state senators and representatives, mayors and city councilors, school board members and others care what voters think. Call, write or email them and their staff members to share your views on upcoming legislation and timely issues.
“There’s more than just voting that can influence our democracy,” Sanchez said.
- Don’t forget local politics — Many people focus on what’s happening in Congress or the White House, but there’s also a lot going on at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe and in city council chambers across the state.
“It’s at the state and local levels where you can have the most impact,” Brook said.
She recommends attending some city council or similar meetings to get a feel for what’s happening in your community.
- Get involved — If you’re a member of a political party, you can join in its efforts. Or, if there’s an issue you are particularly passionate about — from education, to crime prevention, to conservation — there’s probably a group out there working to make a difference.
For example, AARP advocates for and educates its members and volunteers on issues related to those 50+ that the organization supports, said New Mexico State Director Joseph P. Roybal-Sánchez. AARP New Mexico has pushed for paid family and medical leave at the state Legislature, for instance. Anyone interested can sign up to receive alerts about AARP’s call to action advocacy efforts by texting JoinNM to 22777.
