VOTING: Easy for most, but will it last?

For most people, it is easy to vote — but will it always be?

Despite Trump’s numerous allegations that our voting system is flawed, there has been no evidence that fraudulent activity has altered the outcome of any race. As much as Trump wants to poke holes in our system of elections, he has not been able to. Yet, Trump has made it clear that he is going to try to mount as many obstacles as possible for the voting public. 

That brings me to his proposed $95 billion dollar war package. As it is written now, if our legislators want to support our troops in Iran, they must also agree to spend 10 billion of that 95 billion on changes to our voting privileges and elections. I extracted this information from the Associated Press article “House Republicans’ $95B Iran war package clears first hurdle,” July 17, 2026. 

What a manipulative maneuver, attaching needs of our troops to an unneeded change in our system of voting. One major change, if Trump has his way, would be to implement the Save Act. Women who have had a name change would need to present a valid birth certificate. Another target are absentee ballots. This administration would like to see in-person voting only. That could be a hardship for some people. These are obstacles to one of the most important privileges that American citizens have.

Right now, for most people, the process for registering to vote is easy. In Idaho go to: https://voteidaho.gov/voter-registration/. If you live outside the state of Idaho, there are similar sites applicable to you. Call or email your election office to find out how to register. When the window for voting opens, vote early, so that the unexpected things that happen in life don’t hamper your chances to make it to the polls. Vote in person, vs. a mail-in ballot.

Please vote. If you want to see changes in our administration, there is a chance your vote could make a difference.

MARSHA BECKER

Dalton Gardens