“Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it.” – Justice Learned Hand
Democracy is the heart of our constitution, but democracy cannot exist without the people who make the decisions, you and me. In that spirit, the words of Justice Learned Hand are at the heart of every decision we make as citizens in this country and in this town we love, Fairbanks.
I have seen the lengths to which our citizens are willing to care for one another. Whenever anyone is stuck on the Richardson Highway, someone stops to check on them and see if they need help. When we have too many blueberries, we share them with our neighbors, and when the salmon catch is particularly good, we ensure every person gets a piece. At every turn, we show up and show out in support of our neighbors and the causes we care about. How is it that we don’t make the same effort when it comes to our elections?
Every year our municipality must recruit hundreds of people across the borough to perform numerous roles essential to enabling us to vote. They find people at the very start of their civic journey, 16- and 17-year-olds, and people who have been working in the polls for decades. All these people come together to ensure the voting processes are fulfilled properly and entirely separated from party affiliation.
I was one of those people for two years, working as a precinct chair. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I met wonderful, amazing people who worked 16-hour shifts with me, but I also encountered many who needed to be more trusting and ultimately did not want me there. To those people and everyone, I say, “Where were you?”
In today’s political climate, people from every walk of life have a deep mistrust in our institutions and doubts about the path we are on as a county, especially in our election processes. However, from someone that was on the inside and is no longer, there’s no reason for it. Voting can be difficult when there aren’t enough people to make the process work properly. It can take longer to certify the elections when there are not enough people to double- and triple-check the results to certify them. As election workers, we do our best, but we need more people to take an hour or two out of their day to act as supporters or, better yet, to become one of us.
Election workers make your ability to vote a reality. They ensure our community is represented by the people we want without ever saying a word about who to vote for. Isn’t that what being an Alaskan is all about? Isn’t that at the heart of living in a community with one another, sacrificing to ensure our shared survival?
Living in Alaska is hard and will only get harder for many of us without proper representation. Our ability to ensure a prosperous future lies in our elections. It lies in your hands and whether you choose to use them to help your community have a say in their future.
We can choose to give our time to this process, which many take for granted. The last day to register to vote is Sept. 3, and the only requirement to be an election worker is to be a registered Alaskan voter.
I hope you come out to the polls to vote on Oct. 3, but more than that, I hope you choose to give your time to your neighbors. Ensure they may exercise every right they hold under our constitution and may have access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Bella Martinez (she/they) lives in Fairbanks on the unceded territory of the Lower Tanana Dené. They work to ensure everyone gets their say and their stock in our collective future.
This post is a submission to The Alaska Current. Please send submissions to news@thealaskacurrent.com.