Briefing Notes No 45
March 3, 2017
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy (2016)
After-screening panel discussion and Q and A with Greg Palast, chaired by Stephanie Stewart, former Vice-Chair of DAUK
Eric Holder: “The right to vote is not only the cornerstone of our system of government—it is the lifeblood of our democracy.”
Aexander Keysaar: “Our history makes plain that the right to vote can be as fragile as it is fundamental”
While Donald Trump amplifies the fraudulent and discredited Republican claims of ‘voter fraud’, tonight we focus on the well-documented, intensive and accelerating Republican voter suppression tactics that have been shaping our elections for too many years.
Eric Holder: “The right to vote is not only the cornerstone of our system of government—it is the lifeblood of our democracy.”
Greg Palast warns that with Trump’s (and Republicans’) latest statements “We are witnessing the crafting of a systematic plan to steal the 2018 midterm election.” And he has argued that the Republicans managed to steal the 2000, 2004, 2016 elections.
Are these claims overstated? This Film Night should encourage us all to take these issues seriously, investigate the situation for voters overseas and in our home states, and decide for ourselves.
Who decides who votes?
Many of us forget that the Constitution left the determination of who can vote and the organization of voter registration and elections to the individual states. Constitutional amendments, federal legislation and the oversight of the courts have, at the best of times, extended and formally secured extensions and protection of the right to vote. On the other hand, in 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court gutted key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Overt voter suppression
The scope and scale of voter suppression has rapidly accelerated since 2010. We’ve seen changes in many states to early voting, absentee voting, new restrictions on voter registration drives by third parties, e.g. the League of Women Voters, NAACP, the ending of election day voter registration, limits on polling station opening hours, and more restrictions on re-instatement on electoral rolls. All these changes have accompanied the once rare ( ie. before the 2011 legislative session, only two states had ever imposed strict photo ID requirements) , but now common voter ID laws.
Voter ID laws are a “solution” to a non-existent problem. Neither academic nor government research has established any significant in-person voter fraud.
What has been demonstrated is that voter ID laws and other restrictions and techniques (caging, purging of voter rolls) specifically and disproportionately impact ethnic minorities, the young, the elderly and the poor: key constituencies for the Democratic Party. Even ‘free voter ID’ costs considerable time and money: estimated to range from $75 to $175 (excluding legal costs) – a higher rate than the “poll tax” outlawed in 1964.
How is voter suppression funded and organized?
Greg Palast identifies some key actors. Alongside familiar names such as the Koch brothers, he points to others lesser known figures and organizations that also play key roles in setting up and rolling out voter suppression. In the creation of ‘model laws’ the right wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) continues to play a major role.
Voter suppression by neglect and partisans administration
Our infrastructure for and administration of voter registration and elections is creaking. The levels of clerical errors in transcribing names, the methods for handling provisional ballots, the training of poll works, the unreliability of the machines used – all merit close crutiny.
Reasons to worry:
Jeff Sessions’ record and recent decision not to pursue the case against the Texas voter ID law demonstrate that he will not be a protector of voting rights. Many House Republicans are pressing for legislation to abolish the Electoral Assistance Commission. Many states are already considering introducing even stricter voter ID laws and other restrictions.
Reasons for hope:
People are much more aware of and challenging both overt voter suppression tactics and the poor administration of voter registration and elections. The new DNC Chair has pledged to create a fully staffed Voter Protection Unit. Automatic voter registration is gaining more support; as are moves to improve re-instatement of felons.
Gerrymandering and redistricting plans are being challenged in the courts and will be a focus of a new NGO set up by President Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder. The revived Democratic focus on winning at the state level will have an impact, especially when redistricting takes place after the 2020 census.
The message is: get informed, get active and be ready for the challenges facing us in 2017 and 2018.
