Common Cause is out with an extensive report on the growth of state laws aimed at suppressing, discouraging or harassing voters from targeted demographic groups.
The nonpartisan report need not state the obvious, that this is part of a universal Republican strategy and the laws to advance the strategy are not in place in Arkansas only because the Republican Party doesn’t yet have a legislative majority here. The Republican Party hopes to achieve a majority in elections this year, in part with financing from the same deep pockets pushing Voter ID and other voter discouragement legislation.
The immediate concern is poll bullying THIS election, particularly in 10 key presidential election swing states, as the Common Cause news release explains. Common Cause is expecting an outpouring of intimidation by Tea Party-leaning groups to challenge voter qualifications in targeted communities (poor people and immigrants). This work is far from unknown in Arkansas. U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin was a specialist at minority voter suppression when working for the Bush White House. Republicans from time to time have employed poll “hovering” in Arkansas to send a chill among certain voter groups, particularly black communities.