Barack Obama's Presidential triumph in 2008 opened up a veritable demographic Pandora's box for Republicans, as it signaled a potential sea change for future Republican electoral chances. For many an election, Republicans could almost always count on certain demographic groups--African-Americans, Hispanics and young voters, to show up in limited numbers, to the vast advantage of Republican candidates for local, state and national elections. That is, until the 2008 elections, when conventional wisdom on voter turnout was turned on its head.
In 2008, 22-24 million young people turned out to vote, with 66% of 18-29 year olds casting their ballots for then Senator Obama, as another 66% of Hispanics and 95% of African-Americans joined in on the effort. For the first time, they showed up in enough numbers to actually swing an election one way over the other--the age-old Republican race and age problem manifested, this time on steroids.
It was a game changer. One that could seriously imperil Karl Rove's designs for a permanent Republican majority, and instead make them a permanent minority, as Political Science wisdom implores that people's voting patterns are usually set after 3 consecutive elections. Republicans were not going to sit idly by and take this. Something had to be done. And soon.
The Republican Dilemma and Response
Even the most inept GOP strategist figured out that since these people are not likely to vote for them in large numbers, then they might as well make sure they vote in only extremely limited numbers.
How?
By launching a calculated, massive voter suppression campaign, cynically under the guise of preventing so-called voter fraud. Since last year, a number of almost purely GOP-led state legislatures have passed voter ID laws that would require (for the first time) otherwise registered voters to present government issued photo identification in order to cast a ballot. The law is ostensibly intended to prevent the instance of people voting under another person's identity.
In Texas
Last year, the great state of Texas was one of eight states to pass such a law, as it vowed to protect the integrity of the elections-arm of its sprawling body politic. The only problem is that the most malicious manifestation of said fraud (and the only one that really matters) is the sort of fraud that is by and large practically non-existent--That is, in-person voter impersonation fraud.
According to the numbers, less than 5 complaints of voter impersonation cases were filed with the Texas Attorney General's office in the 2008 and 2010 elections, which had upwards of 13 million voters participating. A majority of the election law infringements involved campaign-finance violations, mail-in ballots, incidents of election workers preventing voters from casting ballots, and electioneering too close to a polling place.
Under the Texas law, in order to vote, a voter must have a valid Driver's License or photo ID issued by the state, military or the Department of Public Services (DPS). In addition, the law decrees that, while a concealed gun permit would satisfy the ID requirement, a University-issued ID card would not suffice, despite the fact that such an ID (like the others) enables the carrier to sufficiently prove that he/she is who he/she says he/she is.
A not-so veiled attempt
If enforced, S.B.14, (the name of the law) authored by Texas State Senator Troy Fraser (R-Horseshoe Bay), would have a disproportionate impact on minorities who tend to lack such forms of identification. For instance, up to 795,955 registered voters (6% of all registered voters) in Texas lack a Driver's License or photo ID. You might reasonably respond to that by saying, "Why don't they just go to the DPS and get their ID's like everybody else?." Well, I'm glad you asked-- Nearly a third of Texas Counties (81 out of 254) have no DPS offices. In addition, fewer than a quarter of DPS offices (49 out of 221) have extended hours. According to the states' own data, Hispanics (the biggest minority group ) are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to live in such under served areas. Overall, the photo ID requirements would effectively suppress voter turnout among the aforementioned Hispanics, as well as African-Americans and young voters--all of whom tend to vote democratic and were key constituency groups for President Obama in 2008. This is what this is all really about.
In an attempt to downplay the significance of the unnecessary burdens of obtaining such documentation (which would involve transportation as well as opportunity costs of missing work which poor folks can ill afford to incur), Governor Rick Perry (R) snobbishly waved off such concerns. He said the law "requires nothing more extensive than the type of photo identification necessary to receive a library card or board an airplane." What the good Governor fails to realize is that, a library card and a plane ticket are 'privileges' (which many folks don't or can't enjoy) while voting is a fundamental 'right'.
Federal Response and the States' Rebuttal
Given that Texas is one of 16 states and jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination, under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it is required to seek preclearance with the federal government before it makes changes to its electoral laws. Under section 5 of the act, the state assumes the burden of proof, as it is required to demonstrate that any proposed changes to its voting laws is void of any discriminatory intent or effect towards minority communities. The state's request for preclearance was rebuffed in a March 12th letter from the Department of Justice, which concluded in part by claiming that "the state has not met its burden of proving that, when compared to the benchmark, the proposed requirement would not have a retrogressive effect..." In response, State Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) filed a suit two days later with the U.S District Court in Washington, challenging the constitutionality of section 5, claiming that it should no longer apply to Texas. The case is now in the hands of the federal court. Furthermore, similar voter ID laws in South Carolina and Wisconsin have been either blocked by the DOJ or rejected by a state judge.
In conclusion, the transparent and insulting attempts to shred the Voting Rights Act in order to permanently close the Pandora's box unlocked by President Obama's election, will be egg on the faces of Republicans come November. These desperate endeavors (coupled with racial redistricting efforts) to dilute the voting power of millions of minorities will only serve to concentrate the public's attention to what is really afoot here--a 21st century poll-tax. Voter suppression is no less egregious than voter fraud.
