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Nov. 3rd, 2008 08:30 pmCommentary from Rachel Maddow on the modern poll tax (found at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
anhata56
The poll tax didn't just disenfranchise Black voters, it also disenfranchised a lot of women. My husband recalls his parents discussing this and when there was not enough money for two voters, his father voted and his mother stayed home. His aunt never voted until the poll tax was outlawed, because his uncle didn't want to waste good money on letting a woman vote (especially when he couldn't be sure she would vote the way he told her to).
I imagine this poll tax will also fall disproportionately on women who often have family responsibilities or child care concerns in addition to working. If you voted early and you have friends who didn't, see what you can do to ease their "poll tax" -- offer to watch the kids, run errands, cook supper, whatever you can do. Offer to hold someone's place in line while they go sit down for a while. We all deserve a chance to vote, and we need to make sure no-one is denied because they can't pay the "tax".
anhata56The poll tax didn't just disenfranchise Black voters, it also disenfranchised a lot of women. My husband recalls his parents discussing this and when there was not enough money for two voters, his father voted and his mother stayed home. His aunt never voted until the poll tax was outlawed, because his uncle didn't want to waste good money on letting a woman vote (especially when he couldn't be sure she would vote the way he told her to).
I imagine this poll tax will also fall disproportionately on women who often have family responsibilities or child care concerns in addition to working. If you voted early and you have friends who didn't, see what you can do to ease their "poll tax" -- offer to watch the kids, run errands, cook supper, whatever you can do. Offer to hold someone's place in line while they go sit down for a while. We all deserve a chance to vote, and we need to make sure no-one is denied because they can't pay the "tax".
