Austin American-Statesman Op-ed: We're in a constitutional crisis. Will you take action?

This op-ed by Jessica Foreman, president of the League of Women Voters for the Austin area, first appeared in the Austin American-Statesman. 

Texans know a thing or two about political theater. The outrage cycles, the grandstanding, the talking heads. It’s easy to assume that what’s happened in President Donald Trump’s first 100 days is politics as usual. But don’t be fooled — what we’re witnessing isn’t the usual political noise. The president is pushing the boundaries of the law, and the guardrails of democracy are starting to give way.

That strain has now reached a breaking point. The League of Women Voters recently took the extraordinary step of determining we are in a constitutional crisis. The president is disregarding due process, defying court orders and tossing out dangerous “jokes” about third terms, mass deportations and elections. This isn’t normal.

And while all this plays out, Congress is quietly advancing the SAVE Act, a bill that would erect new barriers between Americans and the ballot box. If passed, it would require every eligible voter to present specific documents such as a passport or original birth certificate just to register or update their voter registration. Millions of married women could be blocked from registering due to name changes. Families moving to a new address would have to re-prove their citizenship. In the middle of this constitutional crisis, lawmakers are trying to make it harder for people to vote. That alone should jolt us into action.

At the League of Women Voters for the Austin area, we’d much rather be focused on studying our city charter updates or helping register new voters at community events. But these are not ordinary times. We can’t sit this one out, and neither can you.

What can we do?

First, let’s engage our elected officials. Call our Texas senators and urge them to vote against the SAVE Act. Attend your representative’s town hall and ask tough questions. If they aren’t hosting one, ask why not.

Keep state officials accountable. Track how they vote on the issues that matter to you and speak up. If they pass new laws around elections or voter registration, ask whether the Texas Secretary of State and local election officials have the funding, technical capacity and a clear plan to implement them and inform the public. If there’s no plan or clarity, demand answers. Find out who represents you at lwvaustin.org/Find-My-Elected-Officials.

And let’s not forget our local leaders. As federal protections are weakened, we can strengthen voting access at home through more funding for voter education, better access to polling places and even creative moves like making Election Day a local holiday.

Perhaps most important of all, don’t try to do this alone. Join a civic group, local nonprofit or organizing effort to help build community. Stand with others who care and are ready to act.

It’s tempting to tune it all out and let the next wave of headlines fade into the background, but behind the noise is something real and dangerous: the erosion of the rule of law and of our democratic norms.

We cannot sleepwalk through this moment. In the words of the late, great Molly Ivins, “Raise hell — big time… My word, there's a world out there that needs fixing. Get out there and get after it.”

Will you join us?