Madison County Democrats: Don’t Go to Sleep’

By Sheila McNeil, chair of the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee

Sheila McNeil, chair of the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee, rallies support for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, highlighting Madison County as a potential Democratic stronghold in the 2024 election

(Huntsville, AL) While the 2024 Democratic National Convention was an extraordinary success, and some polls say Vice-President Kamala Harris is leading in some swing states, we cannot sleep on this election. There is a lot at stake, and the results will be close. Saying “don’t go to sleep” means don’t take your vote for granted. 

Literally, every vote will count, especially since Republican states across the country are already passing laws to suppress the vote and harass voter activists. Lawsuits are being filed in advance of the election. For example, Georgia’s Democratic party recently sued to block two recent rules adopted by the State Election Board that could be used by county officials who want to refuse to certify an election, potentially causing delays in finalizing the state’s results. The lawsuit, filed before a state judge in Atlanta, argues the rules violate a state law that makes certification a mandatory duty.

There are also accusations of voter suppression against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The nation’s oldest Latino civil rights organization, LULAC, is one of several entities in Texas targeted in voter fraud raids led by Paxton, who recently ordered raids on the homes of 80-year-old Latino activists, which included the collection of their DNA.  

These illegal searches carried out by Paxton’s office – based on the false premise of voter fraud, and echoing a troubling history of voter suppression and intimidation – has long targeted both Black and Latino communities. Both of these groups are experiencing demographic changes that increasingly are shifting the political landscape.  If we are going to have free and fair elections, Democratic voters must intentionally ensure their votes count by overwhelming the polls so there is no question about which candidates won. 

Another reason we can’t go to sleep on this election is because Donald Trump and his Project 2025 are a clear and present danger to this country. New York Attorney General Leticia James issued this warning: “It’s really critically important that individuals understand what Donald Trump represents, and that’s why all of us must march in quiet defiance to the polls on Election Day and vote for freedom, vote for liberty and vote for democracy, and vote for a functioning democracy that respects the rights of all individuals, not criticism, not grievances, not division, but unity.” (Letitia James New Legal Move in Trump Case “Relevant” to Election: Attorney. Newsweek, August 24, 2024, and Updated August 26, 2024)

For more information on the Madison County Democrats, please go to madisoncountydemocrats.com.