Today I urge Indianapolis residents to spend a few moments observing the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which secured the right to vote for women in America. The 19th Amendment stands as one of the pillars of modern democracy in our country. The movement that led to its adoption continues to inspire us to ensure that all Americans have access to the most precious of our civil liberties.
The democratic process is not perfect, and our politics sometimes seem too abrasive, but one thing we should all agree about is that our country and our local community are better off when hearing from more voices instead of fewer.
Although we should not let it detract from today's observance of the right to vote for women, it was a disappointment to learn from news accounts this morning that Mayor Greg Ballard appears to be withdrawing his previous support for early voting at satellite facilities around Marion County for the 2010 general election. Indeed, it is particularly ironic that on the very day we celebrate the expansion of voting under the 19th Amendment, Mayor Ballard is delegating to his political lieutenants the decision to constrict access to voting opportunities in our city.
Ballard is quoted this morning as saying that he will leave the decision about satellite voting locations "to the political guys." That decision is ill advised and contrary to the will of the people in our community. As just one example, out of the 28 people that testified about satellite voting in the Marion County Election Board's public hearing yesterday, 27 were in favor of satellite voting. The only person opposed was Ballard's political lieutenant, Marion County Republican Chair Tom John. So, it is clear where the Mayor's "political guy" stands on this issue, even though it is equally clear from tens of thousands of Marion County voters who used satellite voting over the past few elections that it is "popular and convenient" – a point that the Republican member of the Election Board conceded in news accounts this morning.
As I meet with citizens and study issues in my effort to be the next mayor ofIndianapolis, it is clear to me that Mayor Ballard and I will have some disagreements about the direction of the city. But I had thought that access to voting at satellite locations was an area of agreement between us. In 2008, Mayor Ballard stated that satellite voting was "a win for the voters and a win for Marion County." But now the mayor has relegated this important measure to merely a "political" issue. Let me be clear that I do not consider voting, as the mayor does, to be a purely political question. For me, and I would think for most people in our country, voting is as a fundamental right that we must continue to nourish as we encourage our fellow citizens to take an active role in our democracy. And as just one timely and poignant example, let's give thanks to the leaders who pushed for the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 who thought more of women's suffrage than as just a "political" issue.
As mayor, I would push for expansion, not contraction, of opportunities to make voting more convenient for all voters and more accessible for elderly and disabled voters and those who have employment or transportation issues that are a barrier to getting to the polls during normal voting hours on Election Day. I call upon Mayor Ballard to reconsider the value he is placing on the right to vote and to instruct his political chairman to do the right thing and support satellite voting in the 2010 general election.
Lastly, I make this additional commitment: In a Kennedy administration in city hall, I will not shrink from taking leadership positions on important issues, and I certainly will never delegate those decisions to "the political guys." Instead, I will engage men and women of good will and ask them to put politics aside on those important issues and to work together in the best interests of Indianapolis residents.
