Black voter suppression in North Carolina: statewide numbers vs. local reality

[Triana]

Hearings began today in an action by civil rights groups to block North Carolina's restrictive new voting law from being enforced in the November election while its constitutionality is being considered, with an overflow crowd showing up at a Winston-Salem courtroom to witness the proceedings.

The Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA) has provisions shortening the early voting period, eliminating same-day registration, and banning out-of-precinct voting. It also requires poll workers to ask voters whether they have a photo ID, which they will have to show in order to cast a ballot beginning in 2016.

One of the arguments made by the law's defenders is that since 44,500 more black voters cast ballots in the state's 2014 primary than in the previous midterm primary, any claims the law results in voter suppression or discrimination are bogus.

But a new analysis of voter data tells a more complicated story. . .

THE REST:

http://www.southernstudies.org/2014/07/black-voter-suppression-in-north-carolina-statewid.html

[Fred Sanders]

1. How do they count the black vote so precisely, is someone counting at each poll what the color

of the voter is?

I always find it strange how Americans complain about divisive politics but are so nonchalant about dividing the vote by racial groups for discussion purposes, cable TV has taken it to ludicrous extremes.