As we near November in these uncertain times, the United States presidential elections will still go on as planned and will ultimately determine how our country continues as a nation going forward. Voting is more important now than ever to create the necessary positive changes our society so desperately needs and is seeking. Many non-color individuals do not experience their right of voting the same as those of color do. Voter Suppression against those of color is a real threat and still alive and well today.

In 1981, voter's arrived to several cities throughout New Jersey for the gubernatorial polls to be met by signs that read "the area was under the patrol of the National Ballot Security Task Force." To secure victory for the Republican party for the upcoming election, the Republican's devised a plan to "prevent cheating by the Democratic party", or so they claimed. 200 uniformed armed white men made up this militia to protect and secure the integrity and honesty of voter turnouts. However, this militia threatened, intimated, chased and turned away qualified black and Hispanic Voters. The Democratic committees sued the Republican National Committee and in 1982 the Republicans signed a federal consent decree, ending targeting any race at polls or deploying armed poll watchers anywhere in the United States. By the way, just so happens the Republican candidate, Thomas Kean, won that election by fewer than 1,800 votes after a recount. Fast forward to 2018, the Democratic Party was unsuccessful having a judge renew this federal consent decree.

Which brings us to the presidential elections of 2020. Will voter's be met with a similar experience as those in New Jersey in 1981? Many do not have the option to vote-by-mail and must cast their ballot at a polling station which may subject them to this type of voter suppression. Our current administration and president in charge believes the Democratic party will challenge the integrity and honesty of voting and has vowed to protect all polling stations in the country.

https://theconversation.com/armed-poll-watchers-new-jerseys-cautionary-tale-ahead-of-the-2020-presidential-election-141328

https://www.wnyc.org/story/armed-men-once-patrolled-polls-will-they-reappear-november/