Brennan Center for Justice Issues Report on GOP Voter Suppression Efforts in America

I hope that villagers are taking a close look at the voter suppression efforts that have been implemented by GOP governors and legislators around the nation lately. A new report from the Brennan Center for Justice shines the spotlight on a range of new state laws that make it more difficult to vote, particularly for poor and voters of color.

These new restrictions fall most heavily on young, low-income voters, African Americans, Hispanics as well as on voters with disabilities. These new laws are part of a well-orchestrated campaign to hurt the chances of Democrats to retake control of Congress or retake the White House during the 2012 election.

Based on the Brennan Center’s analysis of the 19 laws and two executive actions that passed in 14 states, it is clear that:

1. These new laws could make it significantly harder for more than five million eligible voters to cast ballots in 2012.
2. The states that have already cut back on voting rights will provide 171 electoral votes in 2012 – 63 percent of the 270 needed to win the presidency.
3. Of the 12 likely battleground states in 2012 -- five have already cut back on voting rights (and may pass additional restrictive legislation), and two more are currently considering new restrictions.

I encourage you to read the report and come to your own conclusions. One thing that is obvious ... the Republicans are pulling out all of the stops to defeat President Obama in the 2012 elections. The question for us ... will we allow voter suppression strategy to work? Or will we register and vote in numbers that exceed expectations?