Voter suppression measures of any sort should rightly be met with the same outrage, shaming, and condemnation that we view outright treachery or sedition against this country. The only reason these tactics aren’t more broadly condemned is because such suppression has been a systematic, cynically normalized practice in this nation since the Reconstruction Era.
The modern Republican Party has made voter suppression a critical component of its electoral strategy for decades, with its primary target the Black community—because Black people overwhelmingly vote Democratic. But the last few election cycles have apparently convinced the GOP that they need to expand their suppressive focus, as younger voters of all races increasingly identify with the Democratic Party’s positions and have begun to vote accordingly in numbers that actually make a difference. That is a huge problem for the Republican Party, since it confirms a generational shift that threatens to overcome their current reliance on gerrymandering to achieve and maintain power at both the national and state levels.
The 2022 midterm election was a particularly intense wake-up call for the GOP, as polls consistently attributed Democrats’ unexpectedly strong showing to the percentage—if not the actual numbers—of young voters embracing Democratic candidates over their Republican challengers. But rather than modify their policy positions to accommodate and attract young people, the Republican response is plotting to keep as many young voters away from the polls as possible.
Thankfully, Republicans’ efforts have thus far found only mixed success. But that won’t stop them from continuing to try.