Republican Rule Restrictions

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “New State Rules Raising Hurdles at Voting Booth,” describes a concerted Republican effort to restrict voting by minorities, young people, the poor and the handicapped through imposing restrictions on voting to combat a non-existent problem, voting fraud.

Some of the states requiring photo IDs have never even had a case of voter impersonation, the crime supposedly being prevented. And many of the new laws may violate the Voting Rights Act and are currently being challenged in the courts.

Previously, only Georgia and Indiana had strict voting ID requirements, but the situation is not quite as bad as some Democrats are making out. Only five additional states have actually passed new ID legislation.

There are, however, other assaults on voting rights underway besides voter ID laws. Some states are abolishing early voting; Maine has abolished a rare ability to actually register on Election Day. And other states are trying to prevent or make more difficult voter registration drives by organizations such as the League of Women Voters.

And it’s no coincidence that all 34 states trying to restrict voter rights, except for Rhode Island, are Republican. I would suggest the Republican Party spend more time on its message to voters rather than their ability to approve or disapprove it.