When voters turn out in record numbers, do you smile for democracy or try to beat back “undesirable” voters? Hopefully the former, but that’s clearly not the case for everybody. After 2008’s record voter turnout, 34 states have introduced legislation to limit voting.
 
Given the illegality of overt suppression efforts like poll taxes or literacy tests, measures to suppress voters have become sneakier. During the 2008 presidential elections in Ohio, many African-American churches took advantage of early voting to promote ‘take your souls to the polls’—where church members went directly from Sunday church services to the polls to vote. But a pending bill called HB 194 seeks to cut early voting time in half and prohibit voting on the last Sunday before Election Day. Hear more from three Ohio pastors of African-American churches by clicking here. 
 
If you look at the ACLU’s “Key Issues” website, “Voting Rights” is listed under “Defending targets of discrimination” section. That is no accident.  Photo ID laws will soon be in effect in 16 states. As many as 25 percent of African-Americans of voting age lack a government-issued photo ID, compared to only eight percent of their white counterparts.  Laura Murphy, Director of the Washington Legislative Office, says these laws represent modern-day poll taxes because:
 
“… individuals without these IDs — who are disproportionately racial minorities, the elderly, the disabled, low-income Americans, and students — must pay fees to obtain the IDs. Apart from these direct fees, the supporting documents necessary for a photo ID — the birth and marriage certificates, for instance — all cost money.”
 
In Florida new election laws require voters to turn in completed registration forms within 48 hours or risk fines.  The League of Women voters and Rock the Vote have both stopped voter registration there. Dawn Quarles, a teacher in Florida, faces charges of voter registration fraud for turning in the registration forms too late. Stephen Colbert mocks the allegations of fraud here.
 
It’s not all bad news for voting rights. The ACLU has started a Let People Vote campaign to continue to raise awareness about voting rights issues throughout the country. This map is part of the project and the grey indicates states that have not tried to pass voter suppression efforts. The yellow Maine in the corner made me smile with pride—we defeated attempts to eliminate same day voter registration last November.