Blog Post #9: Racist Voting Restrictions

This month the Supreme Court upheld new voting restrictions in Arizona, even though the Republican-sponsored laws will disproportionately affect Black, Latinx, and Native American voters, in violation of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. The act prohibits racial discrimination in voting.

One of the new laws prohibits voting in the wrong district. Previously, if you went to a polling place other than your districted one, you were allowed to vote with a provisional ballot (which would be checked to make sure it was legitimate).

In striking the law down earlier this year, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals cited data showing that in areas in Arizona with higher populations of Blacks, Native Americans, and Latinx, the state moves polling places more often than in other districts, making voting in the correct precinct more confusing.

A short while ago, a divided Supreme Court overturned the 9th Circuit Court’s ruling.

Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. even acknowledged that the measure prohibiting casting ballots at the wrong polling place would result in the discarding of twice as many ballots from minority voters as from white voters. Still, the law was upheld.

Another new law in Arizona says that only a voter’s family members or caregiver can pick up that voter’s ballot and mail it or take it to the ballot box. According to a report in the online magazine “Indian Country,” it is particularly Native people living on reservations with poor mail service and a lack of transportation who will be most affected.

Seventeen other states have enacted 28 new laws making it harder to vote. How many more laws will be written?

Protect voting rights where you live. Work to pass automatic voter registration, the restoration of voting rights for the formerly incarcerated people, and to fight voter suppression!