Republicans See Voter Turnout As Threat

 

Having learned over the years that their shrinking demographic and toxic, unpopular views were bleeding voters, the Republicans have aggressively pursued voter suppression, gerrymandering and other tactics to make sure they choose the voters, rather than have the voters choose them. Generally, they've been successful to the point that, despite being on the wrong side of public opinion on many issues, they manage to eke out election victories.

In 2020, they threw obstacles in the way of voters that were likeliest to vote Democratic: closing voting stations, limiting hours to vote, and curtailing early voting were all tools in their kit. But the Trump virus frustrated that game plan, with absentee / mail in voting taking off and being detrimental to demagogue and mentally unstable narcissist Donald "Mango Mussolini" Trump. Now the Republicans are at it again, as the Associated Press reports:

"Republicans in key states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden already are pushing for new restrictions, especially to absentee voting. It’s an option many states expanded amid the coronavirus outbreak that proved hugely popular and helped ensure one of the smoothest election days in recent years.

President Donald Trump has been unrelenting in his attacks on mail voting as he continues to challenge the legitimacy of an election he lost. Despite a lack of evidence and dozens of losses in the courts, his claims of widespread voter fraud have gained traction with some Republican elected officials.

They are vowing to crack down on mail ballots and threatening to roll back other steps that have made it easier for people to vote."  (our emphasis)

The anti-majority, anti-democratic actions Republicans are seeking other restrictions aimed at curtailing Democratic votes, now that they've seen the effects of large turnouts, in both the 2018 mid-term elections and the 2020 Presidential election:

"...Republicans in Georgia have proposed adding a photo ID requirement when voting absentee, a ban on drop boxes and possibly a return to requiring an excuse for mail voting, such as illness or traveling for work on Election Day. [snip]

In Pennsylvania, Republican lawmakers have been writing legislation to address what they claim are problems with the 2020 election and mail voting in particular, even though courts and elections officials have found no evidence of widespread problems."

As they keep trying to subvert Democratic voting, we have to counter through legal action, through organizing and getting out the vote -- especially elections of state legislatures which set voting rules -- from now on.