Republicans Have a Democracy Problem

It's still early. Election day is almost three weeks away. But Republican efforts to suppress the vote appear to have started. Suppression of the vote is a sad chapter in American history that stretches back decades. History has shown that comprehensive efforts were undertaken to suppress the right of blacks to vote ever since the Civil War.

More recently, however, evidence has repeatedly come to light that a key element in the Republican Party's electoral arsenal consists in suppressing the vote that may go to the other side. Not content with just trying to get elected the old fashioned way -- by persuading lots of people to vote for you. And perhaps bored with an even older-fashioned way -- lying about your opponent incessantly. Republicans have repeatedly turned to efforts aimed at encouraging populations that are likely to vote Democrat to not do so. There are so many ways to do this. Purging the voter roles of supposed felons was a favorite tactic of Kathleen Harris in Florida. Other tactics include distributing flyers in latino neighborhoods claiming that immigration officials will be standing at polling sites demanding to see green cards. Or posting police officers in low income black neighborhoods where police are viewed with suspicion.

Think it still doesn't go on?

Here is a story from today in Nevada. It appears a Republican effort to register voters may have been systematically throwing out Democratic registrations for this election. Seems the company is doing the same thing in Oregon (and possibly West Virginia.)

Hard to believe you say? Check out the following stories:

Here is what a court had to order the Republican National Committee to stop doing.

Here is what happened in Florida

Here is a story about problems in Arkansas

Here are some issues that arose in Tennessee

Think it only happens in the South? Think again. Here is what may have happened in New Jersey. This story was later discredited as an example of Ed Rollins boasting by lying. But the following story tells you what happened in New York City and suggests Rollins may have been boasting, but not lying.