On May 3, Hoosiers around the state will rise early or attempt to beat the 5 p.m. rush-hour traffic to get their hands on the prize, a chance to proudly display their “I voted” sticker to show their participation in the Indiana primaries. Still, other Hoosiers will continue their normal daily routines without thinking twice about Election Day.
In the 2012 presidential election, the Census Bureau report shows a higher percentage of African-Americans than whites voted in a presidential election for the first time in history. Although it is widely known more Americans in general vote in the presidential election, several studies show many African-Americans choose not to vote in the primary election.
Ramla Bandele, associate professor of political science at IUPUI’s Africana Studies program, said many of those who vote in the primary election are those involved in political parties or who have a close relationship with someone active in politics.
“I don’t think it’s unusual that African-Americans don’t vote in the primary, and I don’t think the voting trend in the Black community will change very much,” said Bandele, who believes some in the Black community might feel as if their vote doesn’t truly count. “If you think about the way low-income voters feel, they feel as if nothing ever changes (after an election). They say, ‘What’s the point?’ but there is a point in voting. If you vote, particularly in the Black or minority community, you are helping the Congressional Black Caucus have a voice in Congress. It also is important to let us know how important the Democrats will be in the state when the general election occurs.”
During a community networking luncheon, the Recorder took an informal survey of five individuals to find out which African-Americans will choose to vote in the primary election. Two of the individuals, who work blue-collar jobs, were not informed on when Election Day will take place. One person, who also holds a blue-collar job, stated they are not interested in voting, and the final two individuals, who hold white-collar jobs, stated they plan on voting.
“This kind of primary hasn’t happened since the ‘60s, because parties are so much in control of elections they pretty much decide what’s going to happen. If you stop to think about it, parties are private organizations, but they run the election in America. I hope more African-Americans vote, but the half-way point was when Obama was running, and now I don’t know if there is a lot of enthusiasm about Hillary Clinton at this point,” Bandele said.
Despite Bandele’s assessment and the beliefs of those who do not exercise their civic right to vote, Marion County Clerk Myla Eldridge said early voting numbers are on the rise from past elections, and she does not believe that the majority of African-Americans choose not to vote in the primary election.
“It’s critical for everyone, regardless of your race, to vote, because it allows the candidate you want to be the voice for you to be on the ballot in the fall,” said Eldridge. “We’re really excited to see voters are participating in the electoral process, because that is democracy.”
As reported in a recent edition of the Indianapolis Recorder, participation in early voting has increased by 91 percent this year over 2012. The Clerk’s Office is not able to track the race, ethnicity or gender of early voters.
“I believe Marion County voters are paying attention, and it’s important they vote for the candidate they feel will represent them well,” added Eldridge.
Casting a vote in the primary election is vital, but Bandele said the way in which African-Americans choose to vote is even more fascinating this time around. While she believes Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination, she noted that Bernie Sanders’ agenda involves more than just securing enough votes to win — he’s developing a plan for change.
“What Bernie Sanders is doing is sending a message to the Democratic Party trying to get them to infuse his views into their platform at the convention. For people who vote in the primaries for Sanders, that may be why they do so, because they believe in what he’s doing, but they know he’s not going to win. They want to be a part of his efforts to change the Democratic Party,” explained Bandele, who believes the same is true for Black Indiana voters.
For those African-Americans who conclude voting has no purpose, Bandele encourages them to look at their lifestyle.
“Even if you don’t think things are going well for you, what if the other party gets in and they really ignore you?” she asked. “There are many benefits you could lose that people don’t think about.”
For more information on the Indiana primaries, visit indianavoters.in.gov.
