Amid Push For Voter Suppression Laws, Minority Voter Registration Declines

[xchrom]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/07/478981/amid-push-for-voter-suppression-laws-minority-voter-registration-declines/?mobile=nc

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals a decline in African American and Hispanic American voter registration since 2008, the Washington Post reports. This marks the first significant drop in the number of Latino voters in nearly 40 years.

In recent years, Republicans across the country have engaged in a systematic attempt to suppress voter turnout by pushing legislation to address the largely fictitious issue of “voter fraud.” Their efforts has included bills to make it harder to register new voters, strictly require photo identification in order to vote, and eliminating day-of voter registration. Much of this push has been organized by corporate front group ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council).
Some experts blame the economy for the the decrease in minority voter registration:

'Voter rolls typically shrink in non-presidential election years and registrations among whites fell at roughly the same rate, but this is the first time in nearly four decades that the number of registered Hispanics has dropped significantly. That figure fell 5 percent across the country, to about 11 million, according to the Census Bureau. But in some politically important swing states, the decline among Hispanics, who are considered critical in the 2012 presidential contest, is much higher: just over 28 percent in New Mexico, for example, and about 10 percent in Florida. For blacks, whose registration numbers are down 7 percent nationwide, and Hispanics, the large decrease is attributed to the ailing economy, which forced many Americans to move in search of work or because of other financial upheaval.
“The only explanation out there is the massive job loss and home mortgage foreclosures, which disproportionately affected minorities,” said Antonio Gonzalez, president of the William C. Velasquez Institute, a nonpartisan policy group that focuses on Latinos. “When you move, you lose your registration.”

But with the push for voter identification laws and other efforts that disproportionally disenfranchise minorities, it should come as little surprise that these nationwide efforts are having the intended affect.



*** somebody is going to miss ACORN.

[xchrom]

1. I'll give this 1 kick. Nt

[jwirr]

2. Since it does not seem the SCOTUS will do much about this is there any thing akin to voter

drives like the ones in the 60s that can be used to help?

[xchrom]

3. Yes, there are. And in some places - making remarkable headway.

But ACORN was in place all over - constantly doing the work of voter registration.

They didn't get the backing they deserved - & now we see this.

[jwirr]

4. I'm in MN and I don't think we have passed any voter registration laws thanks to Gov. Mark Dayton.