Dying to Vote

Rather than take a political stance on an individual party, Filmmaker Sue Dorfman’s film "Dying to Vote" provides a brief account of the historical human cost of obtaining the right to vote and contemporary efforts to engage unregistered and disillusioned registered voters in the political process.

"Dying to Vote" deals with two major issues: the first is that people have died, or been willing to risk imprisonment or their lives, to gain the right of suffrage for themselves and others. The second is that someone’s desire to exercise their right to choose, by voting on issues or for candidates, is so strong that it takes on major importance in one’s life. In the process, "Dying to Vote" addresses the rights and responsibilities of voting and inspires viewers to voice their beliefs and visions for themselves and their communities through the ballot box.

No stranger to higher education, Dorfman received her BA in Politics from Oberlin College in 1977, her MA in Sociology/Public Policy from Boston College in 1982 and an MALD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1992. She is on the board of the Fletcher Club of Boston and Women in Film and Video/New England.

MT: Why did you choose this topic for your film?  Why now?

Sue Dorfman: "Dying to Vote" is designed to get people thinking about the importance of voting and the hard won legacy of the vote. This film was begun in 1996, so it is not a film that was begun in response to this election cycle. I chose to release the short version this summer at the urging of friends and fellow filmmakers who thought there needed to be a voice out there which simply reminded people about the importance of voting.

The film was inspired by watching South Africans stand in line for three days to vote for the first time and many other people risking their lives to vote around the world. As I looked at the legacy of the vote in this country, inspired in part by the PBS documentary series "Eyes on the Prize" and earlier readings on the Suffrage movement, I wanted to create a piece of media which brought together our domestic and international
struggles for the vote.

I had been a photojournalist and radio reporter but neither medium seemed to be able to do justice to the project idea. Having worked with the old VHS reel-to-reel decks, it seemed that film would be a more appropriate medium to tell the story. I hired a professional film crew, worked with a great woman in the early stages, and had a great group of production assistants.

The film was shot as an evergreen so that it can be shown at any time in respect to any election since elections aren’t confined only to presidential elections.

I am in the process of working on the longer documentary, which will include archival footage and reflect on the changing struggles for the vote and what would make voting more accessible and trouble free.

MT: Many have said that the 2004 presidential election is probably one of the most important ones we've seen in recent history.  Would you care to comment?

Dorfman: All elections are important. The upcoming presidential election, in my
humble opinion, affects not only the future and fate of the United States, but also that of the world.

MT: Why is it so important to vote?

Dorfman: Voting is one of the ways, in a democratic society, that the "average" citizen can have a say in choosing one’s leaders and express one’s opinion on local issues such as ballot referendums or public works spending. When one votes, it carries some weight with the people elected to serve whether it is on a local or national level.

MT: What would you say is the main reason a lot of people choose not to vote?

Dorfman: There are many reasons people don’t vote -- some are structural and some are functional. Examples range from limited voting hours, voting on a weekday, inaccessible polling places (although all polling places are mandated by law to be handicapped accessible), lack of knowledge about how to work a polling machine, forgetting to register in time and not knowing where to vote. If someone hasn’t been educated in the schools about the importance of voting, if one’s social communities such as churches or temples don’t stress the importance of voting, and if one’s family members don’t vote,
there is a greater likelihood that an individual won’t vote.

Choosing not to vote is a conscious choice. While many of the reasons stated above hold true it also reflects disillusionment with the political system or an ingrained apathy that one’s individual actions count.

There also is a mistaken belief that the only reason to go to the polls is to vote for the President, so if one doesn’t want to vote for either of the main candidates then they don’t see any reason to vote and won’t go to the polls.

Finally, if one’s community seems by-passed by the local legislative body, this increases a sense of hopelessness, which becomes voter apathy. Unfortunately, this becomes a downward spiral where politicians don’t listen if the community that wants changes didn’t vote.

MT: What would you like to say to all the U.S. citizens who aren't registered to vote?

Dorfman: One of the things that distinguishes the American political system that with some notable exceptions, mostly all U.S. citizens have the right to vote in elections. It is our right and privilege as American citizens -- and with all rights and privileges -- it is our responsibility in the deepest sense to use.   People around the world have died or risked their lives for the right to vote. And while most U.S. citizens may not realize it, the actions and policies of the our country affect the lives of those outside of our borders.

MT: What would you hope your audience would take out of the film?

Dorfman: As a child, I was taught to value my convictions and to take action on my beliefs. Many people, in this country and abroad, have risked their lives to gain the right to vote.   It may not seem that one individual action, be it an act of compassion or a casting of a ballot, might make a difference. But it does. Individual actions build together into social movements. That one vote makes a difference. But not only one vote, but any action an individual takes whether it’s in an election cycle in registering a new voter, helping get someone to the polls, making phone calls or in life.

MT: What's your next project, if any?

Dorfman: Completing the feature length version of "Dying to Vote," adding in more material from this year’s Get Out the Vote efforts and archival footage. Working on this has spawned an interest in what makes people run for office, and that may be the jumping off point for the next one.

MT:  Any advice to aspiring filmmakers?

Dorfman: Believe in yourself, and believe in your own voice. Don’t be discouraged
even if the project takes years.