Read on Twitter
According to the Brennan Center ( https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-bills-tracker-2021), the three states that, by far, have put forth the largest number of bills that restrict voting are:
Texas (49 bills)
Georgia (24 bills)
Arizona (23 bills)
These states have several interesting things in common.
Texas (49 bills)
Georgia (24 bills)
Arizona (23 bills)
These states have several interesting things in common.
All three states, Arizona, Georgia and Texas:
- Have large black and/or latino populations.
- Are controlled by GOP State Legislatures.
- And have been trending toward the Democrats for several election cycles.
- Have large black and/or latino populations.
- Are controlled by GOP State Legislatures.
- And have been trending toward the Democrats for several election cycles.
This is a graph of the GOP Margin in Presidential Elections in Arizona from 2004 through 2020. For the last several elections, Arizona was trending bluer until the state finally tipped blue in 2020.
Here is a graph of the GOP Margin in Presidential Elections in Georgia. Like Arizona, it had been trending toward Democrats until the state tipped blue in 2020. And then Republicans began to panic and address (cough) "election security" (wink wink).
And this graph is for Texas, whose "election security" (more winks) bills are even wider and more numerous than what passed in Georgia. Texas Republicans want to avoid seeing TX turn blue as AZ and GA did. And so they break out the old adage "Dress To Suppress."
Another thing that these three states have in common. For several elections now, GOP margins in Presidential Elections in the state have been inversely related to turnout. The GOP literally does better in these states when fewer people vote and visa versa. https://twitter.com/TheValuesVoter/status/1375898900171796480?s=20
Why did so much change since, say 2004?
In 2004, the leader of the Republican Party was a very decent albeit modestly popular man, George W. Bush, who won two of the closest Presidential races in US history.
In 2004, the leader of the Republican Party was a very decent albeit modestly popular man, George W. Bush, who won two of the closest Presidential races in US history.
In 2020, the leader of the GOP was a very different kind of man, Donald J. Trump. Who, in addition to being criticized for his perceived lack of character, was also the least popular President in the entire history of Gallup polling.
But the GOP modeled itself after him.
But the GOP modeled itself after him.
