Low Down Dirty Vote Volume 2

by Posted on

Edith here, with special guest David Hagerty and a new anthology! (Note: while the topic of voter disenfranchisement might seem political, something the Wickeds strive to avoid here, the right to vote is basic to our democracy. We all approved this post.)

David Hagerty, a fellow member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society, says, “With all the recent talk about voting rights and election fraud, now is the time for a volume of crime fiction about disenfranchisement. Low Down Dirty Vote 2 came out July 4th with 22 short stories about cheating in politics and polling. The anthology is a fundraiser for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which supports voting rights and opposes vote suppression.”

Here, three of the writers whose stories appear in the anthology talk about the inspiration for their pieces.

David Hagerty recalls his mother’s participation in the League of Women Voters when he was a child. “One of my favorite memories is of her marching in the 1976 bicentennial parade dressed as Lady Liberty, complete with crown and gown, so I used the image to introduce my story about the fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment in my home state of Illinois. Here, Governor Duncan Cochrane, the hero of my political mystery series, uses his political savvy to lobby a legislature dominated by men for women’s suffrage.”

Ann Parker finds unexpected sources for her tale of voter purges. “My usual milieu for mystery writing is historicals—my Silver Rush series takes place in the 1880s American West, and I initially thought I would write a short story in that setting.

However, present-day homeless issues loomed large in the local news and grabbed my attention. I found myself wondering: with everything else they must deal with, how did homeless folks manage to vote? How do you register if your “home” is a street corner or under a freeway overpass? What if you don’t have a photo ID? My short story “Purged” is the result of my research into that topic. (To see the welter of differing regulations and requirements by state, check out this chart on nationalhomeless.org.)

Camille Minichino uses her latest heroine to illustrate the voter suppression. “I have a  new series, written as Elizabeth Logan: The Alaska Diner Mysteries. I thought I’d take advantage of the research I did for the novels to spin a short story. “Three Funny Things Happened On The Way To Vote” is set in an outpost in Alaska, about a young woman trying to bring her grandfather into the 21st century with respect to problems of voter  fraud. On the way to the polls, they meet perfect examples of what it means to protect the voting rights of all Americans.”

The collection, along with its predecessor, Low Down Dirty Vote, Volume 1, was conceived and edited by Mysti Berry, who tired of ranting on Facebook about the state of this country. “I’m proud of every writer and every story in the collection. The creativity and passion for voting rights resonates from beginning to end.”

Low Down Dirty Vote 1 and Low Down Dirty Vote 2 are for sale on Amazon in ebook and paperback, with all proceeds going to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Readers: Have you had experiences with voter suppression? Can you vote by mail this fall in your state?

Published by Edith Maxwell

Agatha Award -winning author Edith Maxwell writes the historical Quaker Midwife Mysteries (Beyond the Page) and short crime fiction. As Maddie Day she writes the Dot and Amelia Mysteries, the Country Store Mysteries series, the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, and the Cece Barton Mysteries (all from Kensington Publishing). She lives north of Boston in an antique house with her beau and cat Martin, where she writes, gardens, cooks, and wastes time on Facebook.

14 Thoughts

  1. I have not experienced any kind of voting suppression.

    Here in Massachusetts, I got the application to get a vote by mail ballot. I sent it back in so I can avoid the in person voting experience since we have the pandemic going on still and the state is apparently experiencing a slight spike in cases. So I’m limiting my chances for exposure.

  2. Florida has permitted the use of absentee ballots by resident voters since the early 2000s. There is no requirement to be absent from the State, and it makes it easy to vote without facing long lines at the polls. Most of the state (All? Not sure.) also has early voting available at select locations, usually town halls.

    Every year when I was growing up my mother worked the polls. In those days they hand counted votes and I remember my dad bringing pizza and Chinese food to the poll workers as they were prohibited from leaving the counting rooms.

  4. I’m thankful never to have experienced voter suppression either. Our primary was 100% vote by mail. I hope they do the same for the general election, but either way I will be casting my ballot in November.

  5. I’ve never personally experienced voter suppression, but the State of Indiana hasn’t exactly been on the forefront with efforts to increase voter participation. While we have mail in voting, one must meet certain qualifications to be allowed to do so.

  6. I don’t think I have any personal experience with voter suppression. I used absentee ballots in college. Pennsylvania has allowed them this year (although I haven’t gotten mine yet as I am not affiliated with a political party, so I didn’t get one for the primary). Quite honestly, I’m not sure I’ll bother – my polling place is quite near and I’m not that fussed about going out right now.

    I need to get The Boy registered to vote and make sure he’ll get his absentee ballot when he goes off to college.

  7. I had already signed up to vote by mail for all elections in Maryland and was pleasantly surprised when my ballot arrived for the primary in plenty of time to cast it. Alas, for the general election it WON’T be a matter of everyone receiving their ballot by mail, but as I am signed up I live in hope.

Comments are closed.