There is a lot of talk on the news these days about democracy. Is our democracy in trouble? What do we need to do to protect our democracy? What does the divisiveness that we are now witnessing have to do with democracy? What do we all individually have to do with democracy?
The urgency of these questions has only intensified in recent years. We've witnessed increasing attacks on the integrity of our elections, from unfounded claims of fraud to efforts to restrict voting access. We've seen the spread of disinformation accelerate, making it harder for citizens to distinguish fact from fiction. Our League has deepened our commitment to ensuring every eligible voter can participate in shaping our community's future.
I have wondered recently about whether our democracy is really in trouble. How would we know? What can we learn from other democracies that peaked and then declined? Is that what we are witnessing?
Timothy Snyder, Levin Professor of History and Public Affairs at Yale University and author of On Tyranny, offers a compelling framework for understanding when a democracy is in trouble. He explains that democracies don't necessarily die when countries stop having elections. There are many countries that have elections but are not functioning democracies - think Russia, Hungary, and Venezuela. Snyder draws a crucial distinction between a working democracy and a false democracy. In a false democracy, elections occur but don't matter. Differences of opinion are discouraged or obstructed. Election results are predictable. According to Snyder, if we lose democracy in this country, it won't be because we stop having elections. It will be because those in power transform our elections into mere rituals.
This warning feels even more relevant today. When we undermine confidence in election integrity without evidence, when we make it harder rather than easier for eligible citizens to vote, when we refuse to accept legitimate election results, we inch closer to democracy as ritual rather than reality.
Our local elections already demonstrate what ritualistic democracy looks like. Consider the March 3 primary election coming up. In one of the counties we serve, there are no contested races at all - only candidates from one party running unopposed. While these candidates may be well-qualified, voters have no choice. The opportunity for choice evaporated when the filing deadline passed with just one candidate for every position. Many times our primary elections are essentially THE election in our area, since only candidates of one party appear on the ballot for county positions in November. And when even those primaries offer no opposition? Yes, we can still vote on March 3, but without choices to make, our elections become mere rituals.
Yet there are reasons for hope. We're seeing encouraging signs of civic engagement in our region. Interest in the March 3 primary election is higher than we've seen in recent years, with more people asking questions about how to participate and what's on the ballot. At the state level, we're witnessing more candidates from both parties stepping forward to run for office, offering voters meaningful choices. These developments remind us that democracy strengthens when citizens engage and when qualified people from diverse backgrounds are willing to serve.
So what is the League's role here? What can we do to defend democracy and help tilt our election needle toward "let the people decide" versus "rituals"?
By making elections more visible in our community - especially those that are easy to forget such as primaries, run-off elections, constitutional amendment elections, and city races - we ensure citizens understand their power to choose their representatives and shape their communities. We register voters, publish nonpartisan voter guides, and educate our neighbors about what's at stake in every election. We encourage qualified people from diverse backgrounds to consider running for office, because democracy works best when voters have real choices that reflect the full spectrum of our community.
We also work to support local journalism, counter disinformation with facts, replace cynicism with engagement, and model civil discourse even when we disagree. Because democracy isn't just about the mechanics of voting - it's about the culture we create around citizenship, participation, and our shared responsibility to one another.
Democracy isn't a spectator sport. It requires all of us to participate, to stay informed, to engage civilly with those who disagree, and to vote in every election, no matter how small or overlooked. The League of Women Voters of South Central Texas continues to work every day to ensure our democracy remains real, not ritual - that when we cast our ballots, our choices truly matter.
Here's what you can do:
- Vote in the March 3 primary election - even when races aren't contested, your participation matters
- Register to vote and help others register
- Vote in every election - primaries, run-offs, and special elections included
- Attend candidate forums and educate yourself on the issues
- Consider running for local office or encouraging qualified people you know to run
- Join the League of Women Voters and volunteer with our efforts
- Engage in respectful dialogue with those who hold different views
- Combat disinformation by checking facts and sharing accurate information
Our democracy is what we make of it - let's choose engagement over apathy, action over ritual, and a future where every vote truly counts!