1 - Voter Suppression
Early voting
… especially on the weekend, allows working people to avoid long lines that prevent them from getting to work on time. Curtailing early voting, and in some states, local absentee mail-in voting, disproportionately affects Blacks and Latinos, who may also be less well off, have limited transportation choices and be more likely to vote Democratic. After the Tea Party sweep in the 2010 midterms, early voting was cut back in several states, among them the key ‘battleground states’ of Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Ohio.
Voter Purging
… strikes names from the registered voter rolls. Names may be purged because they are the same as a convicted felon (in states that disenfranchise them). Or because they match the name of a voter in another jurisdiction. This 2014 Slate report revealed the GOP funded Operation Crosscheck, a computer program that compared first and last names but not middle names or suffixes. Targeted names were those associated with Democratic voters. The voter may not know until they arrive at the polling place and are forced to vote a provisional ballot.
Provisional ballots
… are great, when they work. They allow the voter to register his/her choices. Then, the registration problem can then be corrected after Election Day. Voters may bring the necessary documents (or IDs) to voting officials within a certain time. But if the problem is nt resolved, the vote is lost.
Bad news
… is all the doom and gloom we hear in the media prior to the election. It’s important for citizens to know that vote suppression tactics are being used. But, while that should make voters more determined than ever to make sure their vote is honored, it can also discourage them from trying.
Outright Intimidation
… is a variation on bad news. Beyond the idea that their voting effort may well be useless is the spectre of being confronted at the polls by thugs from the ‘other side.’ The prospect of being challenged or involved in a nearby scuffle can make the faint-of-heart afraid to go near the polling station. Thugs don’t have to show up. All they need is the news report that says they might.