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Fla Dem

(23,656 posts)
58. How about electing state and local officers who will reverse all the restrictions on voting
Thu Dec 1, 2016, 05:38 PM
Dec 2016

the GOP, ALEC and the Koch brothers have wrought on the voters. Section 4 of voting rights act was gutted in 2013 by the Supreme Court. Since then 1000's of easily accessible voting places were eliminated effecting minority and poorer communities. Ridiculous voter ID laws were put in place targeting again POC, Students, the elderly and poorer citizens. This was a systematic effort to suppress voter turnout and we saw the results of that in this election. A few thousand votes in relatively safe Democratic states determined the election in favor of the Republicans.

Voting Rights Act Section 4 Struck Down By Supreme Court
06/25/2013 10:19 am ET | Updated Jun 25, 2013

The Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act on Tuesday, the provision of the landmark civil rights law that designates which parts of the country must have changes to their voting laws cleared by the federal government or in federal court.

The 5-4 ruling, authored by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined by Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, ruled in Shelby County v. Holder that “things have changed dramatically” in the South in the nearly 50 years since the Voting Rights Act was signed in 1965.

The court’s opinion said it did not strike down the act of Congress “lightly,” and said it “took care to avoid ruling on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act” in a separate case back in 2009. “Congress could have updated the coverage formula at that time, but did not do so. Its failure to act leaves us today with no choice but to declare [Section 4] unconstitutional. The formula in that section can no longer be used as a basis for subjecting jurisdictions to preclearance.”

The Voting Rights Act has recently been used to block a voter ID law in Texas and delay the implementation of another in South Carolina. Both states are no longer subject to the preclearance requirement because of the court’s ruling on Tuesday.

“Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions,” Roberts wrote.

“There is no doubt that these improvements are in large part because of the Voting Rights Act,” he wrote. “The Act has proved immensely successful at redressing racial discrimination and integrating the voting process.”

In his bench statement, Roberts said that Congress had extended a 40-year-old coverage formula based on “obsolete statistics and that the coverage formula “violates the constitution.”

Congress, the court ruled, “may draft another formula based on current conditions.” But given the fact that Republicans currently control the House of Representatives, many voting rights advocates consider it unlikely that Congress will act to create a new formula.
thank you!! Grey Lemercier Dec 2016 #1
I have been thinking the same thing and we need to do it in 2018, during the Congressional elections JimBeard Dec 2016 #37
our side won by 2.5 million votes. Just get rid of the electorial college. It always favors the putitinD Dec 2016 #2
It actually favors us IronLionZion Dec 2016 #14
In California and NY........take out those 2 reliably blue states... Nancyswidower Dec 2016 #48
NO SHIT. try an inspired VP pick too. pansypoo53219 Dec 2016 #3
He helped us win Virginia even though we lost PA. He was an excellent choice. n/t pnwmom Dec 2016 #7
That's a big "even though" vi5 Dec 2016 #26
I know a lot of people who didn't choose Clinton at first and ended up admiring her... bettyellen Dec 2016 #60
What does that have to do with Kaine? vi5 Dec 2016 #62
He was never on the air underpants Dec 2016 #28
Yes Bear Creek Dec 2016 #4
How about a way to do that? Around here we've had voter registration drives, and... TreasonousBastard Dec 2016 #5
"Somehow" is a 30-year disinformation campaign Hortensis Dec 2016 #6
yes... so disturbing and sick.... truly evil forces Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #12
Yes. The crime of "depraved indifference" to the wellbeing Hortensis Dec 2016 #38
So true-- they certainly have been programmed to believe a massive load of crap Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #41
It's scary. I wish I thought they were being Hortensis Dec 2016 #49
yes... there's always room for hope Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #52
He hated who they hated. No Democrat could have won leveraging hate. ehrnst Dec 2016 #16
The media got Trump elected. CrispyQ Dec 2016 #29
It doesn't matter what media machine we make, FOX news will always be there JimBeard Dec 2016 #45
This message was self-deleted by its author Duckhunter935 Dec 2016 #8
with more voter suppression laws certain to come NewJeffCT Dec 2016 #9
these morons march and whine but did not bother to vote keithbvadu2 Dec 2016 #10
"I want a candidate tailored to my user experience!!!" (nt) ehrnst Dec 2016 #18
How do you know the protesters didn't vote JonLP24 Dec 2016 #64
Just their own words in the tv interviews. keithbvadu2 Dec 2016 #67
IF they can't get off their Coolest Ranger Dec 2016 #11
Excellent! They will suffer under Trump; must vote against Pence in 2020 or it will be worse. nt Bernardo de La Paz Dec 2016 #13
It might be more helpful to get rid of voter suppression that makes them jump through hoops. (nt) ehrnst Dec 2016 #15
Ding Ding Ding! FailureToCommunicate Dec 2016 #19
But just who are these people - the 40%? Ligyron Dec 2016 #17
Hillbilly Elegy MissKat Dec 2016 #22
I read that book.. JHan Dec 2016 #33
yeah, but that is only part of the problem Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #43
Young people being so mobile with college makes it difficult to keep JimBeard Dec 2016 #47
good point... voter registration should be different Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #51
Certainly a lot of younger people don't vote... they don't see differences in the parties, that Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #42
Who am I? ChaoticSilly Dec 2016 #68
Makes far more sense cilla4progress Dec 2016 #20
Post removed Post removed Dec 2016 #21
We had one. She won the popular vote both in the primaries and the general. ehrnst Dec 2016 #31
HRC got more votes than any white man running for President. Enough with the likeability. Justice Dec 2016 #35
How about winning over all the voters who would benefit from good policies? Martin Eden Dec 2016 #23
You mean like settling to negotiate a $10 minimum wage instead of $15? (nt) ehrnst Dec 2016 #32
Do you think that's a good policy? Martin Eden Dec 2016 #36
Yes, yes, yes, oh Yes! Raster Dec 2016 #24
Agreed Bettie Dec 2016 #25
Exactly. And many of them are young..... vi5 Dec 2016 #27
K&R mcar Dec 2016 #30
He actual needs to win over 68% ksoze Dec 2016 #34
We don't need them because sarisataka Dec 2016 #39
Excellent post.... Nancyswidower Dec 2016 #46
well, please don't take those responses as representative of what everyone here thinks Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #50
I don't believe those are the views sarisataka Dec 2016 #54
Yes, I agree. Fast Walker 52 Dec 2016 #61
Agree, people can and do change their political alignment. MarvinGardens Dec 2016 #65
Welcome to DU :) n/t phylny Dec 2016 #66
True. This is what I find the most infuriating. Oneironaut Dec 2016 #40
Not voting does not mean "a neutral stance"... brooklynite Dec 2016 #44
Might that require offering an alternative to corporatism? guillaumeb Dec 2016 #53
that's the biggest reason for non voters, IMO NRQ891 Dec 2016 #55
Welcome to DU. guillaumeb Dec 2016 #56
thank you nt NRQ891 Dec 2016 #57
How about electing state and local officers who will reverse all the restrictions on voting Fla Dem Dec 2016 #58
This is the right idea GummyBearz Dec 2016 #59
That might be the best route. I bet there's many poor people who gave up... Buckeye_Democrat Dec 2016 #63
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