Below is a list of voter suppression tactics used by those in power to suppress voter turnout. There are two reasons why it is important to pay attention to voter suppression tactics now even though we do not have a statewide election until next year:
1) Some of these tactics are being used in Tennessee right now in anticipation of the statewide election next November.
2) Traditionally, Democrats do better when turnout is high. Republicans know it. Huckabee even called it “the Lord’s work.”
Frankly, the reality is that the Tennessee GOP is systematically looking for ways to prevent certain voters from casting a ballot next year. They started during last session with a plan to delay auditable and recountable paper ballots (Tennessee Voter Confidence Act or TVCA) and introduce photo ID laws. And last week Secretary of State Tre Hargett and GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Ramsey tipped their hand for what’s next, in addition to continuing to push for the delay of the TVCA, on their voter suppression agenda.
Voter Suppression Tactics
- Purging voter rolls (ex. 2008 election) “Far too frequently, however, eligible, registered citizens show up to vote and discover their names have been removed from the voter lists.” See recent GOP-led purging activity in Shelby County.
- Photo ID laws
- Creating partisan election administrations
- Partisan election commissioners voting to make it harder for citizens to vote
- Impenetrable Obstacles to conducting voter Registration Drives
- Election Day manipulation of resources i.e. too few voting machines allocated to a specific precinct
- Voter intimidation
- Election Day Challenges
- Caging lists – Used by GOP for decades
- Baseless accusations of voter fraud
- Organized misinformation campaigns
- Good Ol’ Dirty Tricks
Want more? Google “voter suppression,” “caging,” and “voter roll purging.” It’s ugly out there and it’s about to get ugly in Tennessee.
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