Voting Restrictions Won't 'Make America Great Again'
September 3, 2016 9:30 AM ET
MARY C. CURTIS
... in Pennsylvania, another battleground state he must win, .. Trump echoed a familiar and shameful theme in American history: that some citizens — and their votes — are more legitimate than others. He suggested that "independent" monitoring was needed at voting places in urban parts of the state — Philadelphia, for example — to prevent citizens casting multiple ballots and other vaguely fishy goings-on. There is still a call on his "Make America Great Again!" website, asking for volunteers to sign up as a "Trump Election Observer" to "Help Me Stop Crooked Hillary From Rigging This Election!"
This all brings back images of Jim Crow-style poll-watching, of African-Americans and other voters of color having to somehow prove themselves worthy of participation in U.S. democracy, with every kind of proof never being enough. It was a call for intimidation masquerading as oversight ...
... Courts are turning an increasingly skeptical eye on regulations like North Carolina's that restrict voting, ruling against all or parts of laws in other states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Kansas and Texas. But .. voting policy is enforced in cities and counties, in local races for mayor, city council and school boards, on a level that affects citizens' everyday lives. Voting rolls are being purged, polling places closed and districts shifted in ways that disadvantage minority voters ...
In a demographically and economically diverse nation, voting is one right that places all Americans on equal footing. There should be a desire to remove all obstacles to eligible citizens who want to do their civic duty. If Trump really wants to "Make America Great Again" for black voters, he needs to join that battle ... on the right side.
http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/09/03/490934773/voting-restrictions-wont-make-america-great-again
