Despite the NYPest's attempts to mock the issue, voting rights are a real
issue. Eric
The fight over the franchise
With President Biden set to give a speech on voting rights in Philadelphia
today and the Texas Legislature engulfed in chaos over a Republican effort to
change election rules, we want to update you on the latest developments on the
issue.
We’ll break down the major themes in the new state laws that Republicans are
passing, as well as the responses from Democrats. The short version: Democratic
leaders have no evident way to stop the Republican-backed laws — but the effect
of those laws remains somewhat uncertain.
First, the news
In his Philadelphia speech, Biden will call efforts to limit ballot access
“authoritarian and anti-American,” the White House said.
Some Democrats hope that presidential attention will persuade Congress to pass
a voting-rights bill that outlaws the new Republican voting rules. But that’s
unlikely. Congressional Republicans are almost uniformly opposed to ambitious
voting-rights bills. And some Senate Democrats, including Joe Manchin, seem
unwilling to change the filibuster, which would almost certainly be necessary
to pass a bill.
So why is Biden giving a speech? In part, it helps him avoid criticism from
progressive Democrats that he is ignoring the subject, as Michael Shear, a
White House correspondent for The Times, told us.
But Biden also appears to be genuinely concerned about the issue, and the use
of the presidential bully pulpit is one of the few options available to him.
Over the long term, high-profile attention may increase the chances of federal
legislation, Michael said.
In Texas, Democratic legislators fled the
state<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/kelBoudVJqz628UXa_O9rA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNy8xMi91cy9wb2xpdGljcy90ZXhhcy1kZW1vY3JhdHMtdm90aW5nLWJpbGwuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjEwNzEzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTM1MTg0Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTE5MTM0NTkzJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjMyOTUmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPTUxOWRkNmU0NzdiNjFkYjAxYjZjMDc2ZDdjNTdlNzU2VwNueXRCCmDodWvtYGkisEtSFmVyaWNwcnVzc2VsbEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~>
yesterday to deny the Republican-controlled Legislature the quorum it needs to
pass a restrictive voting bill. The move is likely only to delay the bill, not
stop it from becoming law.
[https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/QxqxenOKatLd0RiwlUTJeXzL1Ul2g3CNb9YzhXfyfM0c7RVwEAUl7zof_XIkm-IV3-s-H6lbNG05sI-eF7qUFeFVET7cJhCV_kHuyl6aYMkPYLVP6ZAeRudAmV2IDlU-zstLEYXT1U0EUZRyF9rnX1nY1_ZN4LuaDv-n0ri_agmmwgFnC4jVjhiZGskNOSvBiqwFs-J0DDJ-FGevbRMXJ6OS=s0-d-e1-ft#https://static01.nyt.com/images/2021/07/13/nyregion/13-THE-MORNING-Nl-2/merlin_190761234_2b3aa397-f463-4a12-a1be-d0139f0b2436-articleLarge.jpg]
President Biden at the White House yesterday.Sarahbeth Maney/The New York Times
The G.O.P. laws
In 17 states, Republican lawmakers have recently enacted laws limiting ballot
access, according to the Brennan Center for
Justice<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/W8BCOuCT2pPf4VxxWRae1g~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TpaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnJlbm5hbmNlbnRlci5vcmcvb3VyLXdvcmsvcmVzZWFyY2gtcmVwb3J0cy92b3RpbmctbGF3cy1yb3VuZHVwLW1heS0yMDIxP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMTA3MTMmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzUxODQmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0xMTkxMzQ1OTMmc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MzI5NSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9NTE5ZGQ2ZTQ3N2I2MWRiMDFiNmMwNzZkN2M1N2U3NTZXA255dEIKYOh1a-1gaSKwS1IWZXJpY3BydXNzZWxsQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~>.
Texas could become the 18th.
Republican officials have justified these new laws by saying that they want to
crack down on voter fraud. But voter fraud is not a widespread problem, studies
have
found<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/_Ax-ZVYfrbCPip2NjMlW4Q~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TtaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAxNC8wNi8xMS91cHNob3Qvdm90ZS1mcmF1ZC1pcy1yYXJlLWJ1dC1teXRoLWlzLXdpZGVzcHJlYWQuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjEwNzEzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTM1MTg0Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTE5MTM0NTkzJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjMyOTUmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPTUxOWRkNmU0NzdiNjFkYjAxYjZjMDc2ZDdjNTdlNzU2VwNueXRCCmDodWvtYGkisEtSFmVyaWNwcnVzc2VsbEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~>.
Some of the very few cases have involved
Republicans<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/o4scMBDn0SVFwPgD5FYOgw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P4QHAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5iY25ld3MuY29tL25ld3MvdXMtbmV3cy9yZXB1YmxpY2FuLW9mZmljaWFsLW9oaW8tZmFjZXMtY2hhcmdlLXZvdGluZy10d2ljZS1ub3ZlbWJlci1lbGVjdGlvbi1uMTI3MTk4NT9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjEwNzEzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTM1MTg0Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTE5MTM0NTkzJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjMyOTUmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPTUxOWRkNmU0NzdiNjFkYjAxYjZjMDc2ZDdjNTdlNzU2VwNueXRCCmDodWvtYGkisEtSFmVyaWNwcnVzc2VsbEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~>
trying to vote more than
once<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/B3UKk0DfdX94qDosomXM-g~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P4QcAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRlc21vaW5lc3JlZ2lzdGVyLmNvbS9zdG9yeS9uZXdzL2NyaW1lLWFuZC1jb3VydHMvMjAxNy8wNy8wNy9pb3dhLXdvbWFuLWNoYXJnZWQtdm90aW5nLXR3aWNlLXRydW1wLXBsZWFkcy1ndWlsdHkvNDU5NzE4MDAxLz9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjEwNzEzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTM1MTg0Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTE5MTM0NTkzJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjMyOTUmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPTUxOWRkNmU0NzdiNjFkYjAxYjZjMDc2ZDdjNTdlNzU2VwNueXRCCmDodWvtYGkisEtSFmVyaWNwcnVzc2VsbEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~>.
The substance of the laws makes their true intent clear: They are generally
meant to help Republicans win more elections.
Increase partisan control
So far, at least 14 states have enacted laws that give partisan officials more
control over election oversight — potentially allowing those politicians to
overturn an election result, as Donald Trump urged state-level Republicans to
do last year.
In Georgia, a Republican-controlled commission now has the power to remove
local election officials, and has already removed
some<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/X-YwnOA-9HfCd5iSHHTBTQ~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNi8xOS91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9yZXB1YmxpY2FuLXN0YXRlcy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMTA3MTMmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzUxODQmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0xMTkxMzQ1OTMmc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MzI5NSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9NTE5ZGQ2ZTQ3N2I2MWRiMDFiNmMwNzZkN2M1N2U3NTZXA255dEIKYOh1a-1gaSKwS1IWZXJpY3BydXNzZWxsQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~>.
Arkansas has empowered a state board to “take over and conduct elections” in a
county if the G.O.P.-dominated legislature deems it is necessary. Arizona
Republicans took away the Democratic secretary of state’s authority over
election
lawsuits<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/iOuW-tBOugcp7DTAacJ7rg~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNi8yNS91cy9Bcml6b25hLVJlcHVibGljYW5zLXZvdGluZy5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMTA3MTMmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzUxODQmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0xMTkxMzQ1OTMmc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MzI5NSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9NTE5ZGQ2ZTQ3N2I2MWRiMDFiNmMwNzZkN2M1N2U3NTZXA255dEIKYOh1a-1gaSKwS1IWZXJpY3BydXNzZWxsQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~>
and gave it to the Republican attorney general.
It’s not hard to imagine how Republican legislators could use some of these new
rules to disqualify enough ballots to flip the result of a very close election
— like, say, last year’s presidential election in Arizona or Georgia. The
election-administration provisions, The Times’s Nate Cohn has
written<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/iX7Dc4EeI2X2lBuKtUJ6eA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TbaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNi8yMy91cy9wb2xpdGljcy92b3RpbmctcmlnaHRzLWJpbGwuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD05JmVtYz1lZGl0X25uXzIwMjEwNzEzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTM1MTg0Jm5sPXRoZS1tb3JuaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9MTE5MTM0NTkzJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NjMyOTUmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPTUxOWRkNmU0NzdiNjFkYjAxYjZjMDc2ZDdjNTdlNzU2VwNueXRCCmDodWvtYGkisEtSFmVyaWNwcnVzc2VsbEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~>,
are “the most insidious and serious threat to democracy” in the new bills.
Making voting harder
Many Republican politicians believe that they are less likely to win elections
when voter turnout is high and have passed laws that generally make voting more
difficult.
Some of the new laws restrict early voting: Iowa, for example, has shortened
the early-voting
period<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/vud3dxRuH_MTK4Eguq74aw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P4RBAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRlc21vaW5lc3JlZ2lzdGVyLmNvbS9zdG9yeS9uZXdzL3BvbGl0aWNzLzIwMjEvMDMvMDgvaW93YS1nb3Zlcm5vci1raW0tcmV5bm9sZHMtc2lnbnMtbGF3LXNob3J0ZW5pbmctZWFybHktdm90aW5nLWNsb3NpbmctcG9sbHMtZWFybGllci1lbGVjdGlvbi1kYXkvNjg2OTMxNzAwMi8_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIxMDcxMyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zNTE4NCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTExOTEzNDU5MyZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYzMjk1JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD01MTlkZDZlNDc3YjYxZGIwMWI2YzA3NmQ3YzU3ZTc1NlcDbnl0Qgpg6HVr7WBpIrBLUhZlcmljcHJ1c3NlbGxAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA>
to 20 days from 29 and reduced poll hours on Election Day. Other states have
made it harder to vote by mail: Florida has reduced the hours for ballot
drop-off boxes and will also require voters to request a new mail ballot for
each election.
Notably, some of the provisions are targeted at areas and groups that lean
Democratic — like Black, Latino and younger voters. Georgia has lowered the
number of drop boxes allowed for the metropolitan Atlanta area to an estimated
23 from
94<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/b3zN5Ruzqaw9vrGQdWErbw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TlaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNC8wMi91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9nZW9yZ2lhLXZvdGluZy1sYXctYW5ub3RhdGVkLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIxMDcxMyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zNTE4NCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTExOTEzNDU5MyZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYzMjk1JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD01MTlkZDZlNDc3YjYxZGIwMWI2YzA3NmQ3YzU3ZTc1NlcDbnl0Qgpg6HVr7WBpIrBLUhZlcmljcHJ1c3NlbGxAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA>
— while increasing drop boxes in some other parts of the state. Texas
Republicans hope to ban drive-through voting and other measures that Harris
County, a Democratic stronghold, adopted last year. Montana has ruled that
student IDs are no longer a sufficient form of voter identification.
And the impact?
That’s not so easy to figure out. The laws certainly have the potential to
accomplish their goal of reducing Democratic turnout more than Republican
turnout. In closely divided states like Arizona, Florida or Georgia — or in a
swing congressional district — even a small effect could determine an election.
But recent Republican efforts to hold down Democratic turnout stretch back to
the Obama presidency, and so far they seem to have failed. “The Republican
intent behind restrictive election laws may be nefarious, but the impact to
date has been negligible,” Bill Scher
wrote<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/a/Iz_2dLiik_i0-IV7qRqFVA~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P4QOAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnJlYWxjbGVhcnBvbGl0aWNzLmNvbS9hcnRpY2xlcy8yMDIxLzA3LzEyL3doaXRlX2hvdXNlX25lZWRzX3RvX2V4cGxhaW5faXRzX3ZvdGluZ19yaWdodHNfc3RyYXRlZ3lfMTQ2MDYzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9OSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ubl8yMDIxMDcxMyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0zNTE4NCZubD10aGUtbW9ybmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTExOTEzNDU5MyZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTYzMjk1JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD01MTlkZDZlNDc3YjYxZGIwMWI2YzA3NmQ3YzU3ZTc1NlcDbnl0Qgpg6HVr7WBpIrBLUhZlcmljcHJ1c3NlbGxAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA>
yesterday in RealClearPolitics. The restrictions evidently have not been big
enough to keep people from voting, thanks in part to Democratic
get-out-the-vote efforts.
The Republicans’ latest restrictions — and the ones that may follow, as in
Texas — are more significant, however, and that creates uncertainty about their
effect.
“Our democracy works best when we believe that everybody should have free, fair
and accessible elections,” Myrna Pérez, a longtime elections expert, told us
(before Biden nominated her to a federal judgeship). “And while it may turn out
that their self-interested anti-voter efforts may backfire, make no mistake:
Our democracy is worse just because they tried.”
The Supreme Court has taken a different view. Its Republican-appointed majority
has repeatedly
ruled<https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/ZW6dR70H5KCAEJGNb3nKPw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRiz_B1P0TgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMS8wNy8wNi9icmllZmluZy9zdXByZW1lLWNvdXJ0LWRvbmFsZC10cnVtcC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTkmZW1jPWVkaXRfbm5fMjAyMTA3MTMmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MzUxODQmbmw9dGhlLW1vcm5pbmcmcmVnaV9pZD0xMTkxMzQ1OTMmc2VnbWVudF9pZD02MzI5NSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9NTE5ZGQ2ZTQ3N2I2MWRiMDFiNmMwNzZkN2M1N2U3NTZXA255dEIKYOh1a-1gaSKwS1IWZXJpY3BydXNzZWxsQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~>
that states have the right to restrict voting access.
