Supporting people in line to vote goes against the spirit of the laws that create long lines to keep people from voting!
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So I’m trying to understand some of the mechanisms to voter suppression better so I can argue against it.
What laws do they use to create these massive lines in black neighborhoods? Does the state control where and how many polling locations there are?
I remember I think it was OH where they moved the polling location in a majority Hispanic city to somewhere ridiculous like outside of the city and moved the bus route so it didn’t go anywhere near it
Yes. For instance Texas limited drop boxes to one per county - so that meant Harris County had 1 for 3 million people, while crappy Trump counties had one for like 10k people.
They do this on a slightly less egregious scale for in-person voting.
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No they didn’t. At least the last clause.
They will limit polling locations in certain areas. This is probably the most common and widespread.
I see in Texas all the time where polling place density is vastly different depending on the neighborhoods. I was talking to a couple of friends in Georgia last night and they were telling me the disparity in black neighborhoods and white neighborhoods is extreme.
One odd note in Texas is you must go to your polling place to vote on Election Day. So by having fewer polling places per capita in minority neighborhoods creates much longer lines. I am not aware of any place that tries to make this fair through law. However during early voting you can vote at ANY available location in the county. This still likely means fewer locations in minority neighborhoods but for citizens with mobility they can vote in any early voting spot.
I have had a feeling Texas is going to modify its early voting laws because it really does impede their ability to fully suppress minority voting. Earth voting was instituted at a time when republicans had a total lockdown on the state so not much concern was given to minorities eventually impacting actual elections in the state.
Anybody know if Bidens executive order today does anything to stop this bullshit?
These are the same people who criminalized leaving water in the desert so migrants can survive.
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Ron DeSantis is what an intelligent Trump would look like. I think he’s going to be President, unfortunately.
So the state determines this? I would have thought it was the district, or your local mayor or w/e. That’s nuts.
Selecting polling locations is the primary responsibility of county election officials, often an elected clerk or a dedicated election board.
So how do we get such fucked up lines? Shouldn’t counties with like majority black/hispanic people have lib leadership that gives them enough polling locations?
That’s what happens in the majority of counties, but there is unevenness in population, sometimes there are black neighborhoods in R held counties.
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The constitution says state legislatures regulate elections. So they can do that in any way they choose that doesn’t conflict with the constitution. However, it requires money to run elections. And that may come from the fed, state, or local government. It seems as though whoever decides the specifics of how and where that money is spent, whether that’s a secretary of state, county clerk, or some other local official, has a lot of power even if they’re constrained to some extent by law.
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Also if a minority accidentally votes when they weren’t allowed, even if it’s an innocent mistake, you hit them with a felony and send them to jail for 10 years - to send a clear message.
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Her face always reminds me of 
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Just one? Lol
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The key word is “openly”.