Your Vote Is Yours, No One Needs To Know

Women are receiving a great deal of attention from Republican candidates these days.

You might think it was a sign of vast respect.

You’d think wrong.

It would seem Republicans – or that sub-set who embrace MAGA values – care little for women. If you have any doubts, just look at their stance on abortion. What they actually possess is a vast fear that their wives, daughters, and sisters will vote for politicians who have women’s best interests at heart. It’s the latest twist in an old, old tale:  hatred of female power and autonomy. 

The men of MAGA feel as entitled to their wives’ votes as they do their reproductive rights. –The New Republic

America’s political life is in sorry shape when women are threatened with emotional and/or physical violence for exercising their right as citizens to participate in the electoral process. But that’s where we are, folks – and the more desperate the MAGA boys get, the meaner and more despotic they behave. Just like their Commander-in-Thief.

The New Republic tells readers about Fox News Anchor Jesse Waters’ meltdown at the very thought of his wife, Emma, voting for Harris, deeming it “the same thing as an affair,” and claiming it would violate “the sanctity of our marriage. What else is she keeping from me? What else has she been lying about?”

Malcolm Ferguson, author of The New Republic piece, notes that Waters “cheated on his first wife with Emma, then his 25-year-old employee.”

Ah, hypocrisy! MAGA’s minions might not have invented it, but the patent’s pending.  

Increasing numbers of women aren’t putting up with such attitudes. As Ferguson explains, “Over the last couple of months, there have been growing reports of grassroots campaigns reminding women that no one has to know how they voted.”

The “sticky note” movement is one of those campaigns. Advocates are encouraging women to vote sotto voce. Sticky notes are left in the privacy of public restrooms as an empowering way to safely spread awareness about women’s rights.

A recent HuffPost article reports that TikTok is bursting with videos of “daughters eager to ‘cancel out’ their dads’ votes by voting for Kamala Harris.”

“What do I mean to my dad when he’s willing to put his paycheck before my well-being?”

30-year-old New Yorker Gia Erichson is quoted as saying:  “I think the ‘on my way to cancel my dad’s vote’ trend is not only hilarious but reaffirms my belief that women, especially young women, are so incredibly powerful when we all come together.”

Other women are intent on canceling out their BF’s/Partner’s/Husband’s Trump-loving vote. The Guardian believes the “trend underlines vast gender divide as election approaches, as experts say some women face pressure to ‘toe the line’ politically at home.” It’s only fitting in a free country.

Notable women including Taylor Swift and Julia Roberts have both made their positions clear on the question of the role freedom and privacy play in a just and democratic society. Roberts reminds us all that “What happens in the booth stays in the booth.”

We’re all aware of the enormous consequences of the 2024 election. You can participate in two ways:  Vote. And support someone else who wants to vote. Help all voices to be heard.