As the Republican Party moves more and more to the far right, it keeps trying to make it harder for non-whites to vote. Political science professor Thomas E. Patterson, who teaches at Harvard University in Massachusetts, discusses the GOP’s voter suppression efforts in an article for the Boston Globe — warning Republicans that their efforts to discourage non-white voting will backfire in the end.
“The idea of disenfranchising minority voters was hatched by the Republican-controlled legislatures of Indiana and Georgia,” Patterson explains. “Enacted in 2006, Indiana’s law required residents to have a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, in order to register to vote. Republican legislators knew who they were targeting. Minority group members, young adults and people of low income — all of whom tend to vote Democratic — are less likely than other Americans to have a passport or driver’s license.”
Patterson adds, “Since then, roughly 30 Republican-controlled states have enacted voter ID laws.” And he points out that when Democrats enjoy decisive victories, Republicans find ways to keep them from governing. Continue reading.