With the election right around the corner (just over a week by the time this gets published) I wanted to take a second and highlight something that many folks might be unaware of: voting under duress.

Now look, I'm not planning on voting in this election, and if you were to ask me today "hey Jim, will you vote ever again? In any election?" I'd answer "maybe." Maybe if it was a local election and I was super plugged into the election itself, or, if we're voting for "best in show" at the county fair baked goods table. I will cast a vote for homemade pretzels whenever I get a chance. Homemade pretzels for president, is what I'm saying.

But let's not get distracted piggie, this is serious business. I was listening to an NPR podcast recently that described women in certain households afraid of casting a mail-in ballot for the upcoming election out of fear their significant other (presumably a Trump supporter) would find the ballot and (best case) chide them for voting against Trump or (worst case) disappear them into the local quarry.

Let's table for a second how the obvious fix is to fill out your ballot when dipshit isn't around and seal the envelope, stick it into your bag and drop it off on the way to work or whatever. The bigger issue here is there are women in this country who want to vote for a certain candidate and feel that they can't. They feel compelled to fall in line, because let's just call it as it is: male Trump supporters are the fucking worst and will have a goddam meltdown if someone doesn't ascribe to their alternate reality.

The fear these women feel is borderline abuse. It's toxic. Imagine wanting to express yourself but you're afraid of upsetting your partner, and your partner is so invested in this cult of personality that they may leave, or harm, you as a result.

That's not democracy. That's duress.

Of course, a rational person removed from the situation, reading this Dispatch (and thank you again for subscribing, it honestly means the world to me) would be like "girl leave him" and I would be like "you've never been in a toxic/abusive relationship."

I have. It's probably the worst thing I've ever had to go through as an adult, especially an adult male. Many victims of abuse feel like they can't talk about it due to fear or embarrassment. For a male, there's a heightened societal pressure involved. Thanks western ideas of masculinity!

So it's not easy to just pick up your shit and leave. Add in kids, a mortgage, a whole life, and you make it even harder. So, maybe the woman is just like "I won't vote." Simple right?

But then comes election day, and old boy is like: "what you're not gonna vote? What are you, some sorta LiBrUL??"

So they get dragged down to the polling place (mail-in ballots and voting early is a "LibRuL cOnsPiracY") with the expectation that they'll vote for Trump, right?

And thankfully in this country, voting is a private matter (for now, limited time offer) so whatever goes on in that booth is between you and the higher power of your choosing. But can these women look their dipshit partners in the eyes and lie? Some can, some can't.

But that's the crux of it, isn't it? That we have a system that ensures the democratic process continues to chug forward, only to be derailed by a domestic pressure campaign. This probably explains why this two-party race is so close. Well, this and other reasons that are for another Dispatch. Maybe. Honestly piggie, I'm really over talking about politics for the foreseeable future.

I'm willing to bet the Trump campaign didn't plan for this, but are loving the unintended consequences of appealing to fucking moron men who need special wet wipes advertised directly to them in order to wash their asses. There's really no need to change any messaging, right? Just rely on the toxic men to drag their dependents down to the polling place and basically hold the sharpie for them.

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