Threat of Voter Suppression Takes Center Stage

As Election Day draws near, many civic organizations are sounding the alarm about new laws in Republican-controlled states that are designed to suppress votes among groups that traditionally favor Democrats: young voters, students, African-Americans, Latinos, seniors, low-income voters, and Americans with disabilities.

A recent report by the Brennan Center for Justice analyzed how “a series of laws imposing new restrictions on who can vote and how could significantly change the electoral landscape.”

“Laws that make it more difficult for American citizens to exercise their right to engage in the democratic process are a disgrace,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “I urge every APWU member to get to the polls and to make sure that every voter they know gets to the polls. The stakes are high, and our commitment to voter equality will be crucial,” he said.

The effort to suppress the vote was organized by the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which develops model bills to promote its favorite causes – including restricting access to the polls. See  “The Resurgence of Voter Suppression in American Elections” in the May-June 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker for more information.

Staggering
The numbers are staggering:

• 17 states have passed restrictive voting laws and executive actions that have the potential to impact the 2012 election (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin). These states account for 218 electoral votes, or nearly 80 percent of the total needed to win the presidency.
• Of these, restrictions are currently in effect in 14 states (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin).
• 27 restrictive bills are currently pending in 6 states.
• At least 180 restrictive bills have been introduced since the beginning of 2011 in 41 states.
• 25 laws and 2 executive actions passed since the beginning of 2011 in 19 states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin).

The new laws highlight the importance of voter registration – and education about new voting requirements.

Voter suppression laws include new voter-ID requirements, restrictions on voter-registration campaigns, and limits on early voting.

Photo IDs: Why Not?

What’s wrong with requiring a photo ID? Many eligible voters don’t have them. Seniors, young voters, urban voters frequently don’t have driver’s licenses, the most common government-issued photo identification.

And getting “free” government-issued IDs isn't really free in many cases. Besides the inconvenience of having to visit the Department of Motor Vehicles and wait on line, there is the cost. In many states, it costs money to obtain the requisite birth certificate or other proof of citizenship to get the “free” ID.

Want to register? Visit www.aflcio.org/register, where you can register online. The process is simple and quick. If you're not sure you’re registered, go ahead and register now.

The AFL-CIO My Vote, My Right website offers information on voter registration, voter ID laws and steps to take to protect your right to vote on Election Day. Find out what you need to know to make sure your vote counts this year.

Get information on your voting rights by state, voter registration and more at the AFL-CIO’s MyVoteMyRight.org. Have questions about your voting rights? Call 866-Our-Vote (866-687-8683).