This election was the first election in 50 years without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act, which may have been a big contribution to the turnout. In 2013, the Supreme Court struck down the 1965 Voting Rights act, freeing nine states to change their election laws. The south was most affected.
Yes the Electoral College and overall low voting turnout had an influence on Trump’s victory, but barriers at many ballot boxes also influenced his win because the Voting Rights Act was not enacted. Leading up to the election, many Republican governors and state legislatures implemented new voting laws that suppressed students, low-income citizens and people of color.
States like Wisconsin, North Carolina and Florida were among the states where these voter restricted were pushed. Back in 2008, President Obama had won these three states. In last week’s election, President-elect Trump won them.
These three GOP-controlled states demonstrate the effectiveness of disenfranchising the opposition. #RestoreTheVRA https://t.co/5AfYvrqC2w
— Civil Rights (@civilrightsorg) November 15, 2016
With a Republican majority currently held in all three branches, there will most likely be a lot more barriers and restrictions in the times ahead.
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