DemDaily: Restricting The Right to Vote
June 10, 2021
This year has seen a sweeping number of laws passed in Republican legislatures across the country to restrict the freedom to vote.
|
Between January 1 and May 14, 2021, at least 14 states enacted 22 new laws that restrict access to the vote, making it harder for Americans to register, stay on the rolls, and/or vote, as compared to existing state law.
|
Those states include Republican-controlled legislatures in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, another 61 bills with restrictive provisions are moving through 18 state legislatures, 31 of which have passed at least one chamber. All told, lawmakers have introduced at least 389 restrictive bills in 48 states in the 2021 legislative sessions.
Protesters opposing Senate Voter Suppression bill at Texas Capitol (Evan Roy/Texas Tribune)
Called "Jim Crow 2.0" by one Democratic State Senator who represents a majority-minority district, the legislation would ban drive-through voting and 24-hour voting, and would prohibit election officials from sending absentee ballots to all voters, even if requested. Partisan poll watchers would be given more authority, election officials would face harsh penalties for violating the law, and greater limits are placed on voters with disabilities.
In a late Sunday night vote on the bill in the State House, however, Democrats staged a dramatic walkout, leaving the chamber roughly 14 members short of the required 100-member quorum before the midnight deadline for close of the legislative session. Republicans, led by Governor Greg Abbott, have pledged to return in a special session to pass the legislation.
|
Law Enacted
|
States
|
| Shorten window to apply for a mail ballot | Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma |
| Shorten deadline to deliver mail ballot | Arkansas |
| Make it harder to remain on absentee voting lists | Arizona |
| Eliminate or limit sending mail ballot applications to voters who do not specifically request them | Georgia |
| Eliminate or limit sending mail ballots to voters who do not specifically request them | Florida |
| Restrict assistance in returning a voter's mail ballot | Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Montana |
| Limit the number, location, or availability of mail ballot drop boxes | Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana |
| Impose stricter signature requirements for mail ballots | Arizona, Idaho, Kansas |
| Tighten or impose voter ID requirements for mail voting | Florida, Georgia, Montana |
| Tighten or impose voter ID requirements for in-person voting | Arkansas, Montana, Wyoming |
| Expand voter purges or risk faulty voter purges | Iowa, Florida, Kentucky, Utah |
| Ban snacks and water to voters waiting in line | Florida, Georgia |
| Eliminate Election Day registration | Montana |
| Reduce polling place availability (locations or hours) | Iowa, Montana |
| Limit early voting days or hours | Georgia, Iowa |
Going into the 2022 midterms and the decennial redistricting process, Americans are facing an unprecedented assault on our democracy.
However, The For the People Act, passed by the US House on March 3, 2021, and now awaiting action in the US Senate, would expand voting rights and mitigate some, but not all, of the voter suppression provisions passed in the states.
#S1, #ForThePeopleAct
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has promised to bring S.1, the Senate version, to the floor before the end of the month.
Without the support of all 50 Democrats and ten Republicans to break a filibuster, however, it will be defeated in the upper chamber.
One Democrat, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, has already announced he will not vote for the legislation, citing it as too "partisan" -- effectively killing its chances, in its current form, of passage.
DemList will keep you informed.
Please Support DemList!
Connecting you to The Party
Connecting you to Each Other
Kimberly Scott
Publisher
Sources: Brennan Center for Justice, Washington Post, New York Times, Vox
