Quiz is over!

The quiz question was, since the Supreme Court made it easier for the GOP to be extra racist to Black voters in swing states, the number of voters purged from voting rolls increased significantly. "How many voters were de-registered between 2014 and 2016? Was it 17K? 170K? 1.7 million or 17 million?

https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/112924592284252554

The hint: it's more than in 2006 to 2008 but the same as 2016 to 2018. The answer is... 17 million! AKA approximately the population of the Netherlands!🤡

1/N

mekka okereke :verified: (@[email protected])

@[email protected] @[email protected] The US Supreme Court under Roberts weakened voter rights protections for Black voters. Since these protections were weakened, the number of voters purged from voter rolls has skyrocketed. These purges disproportionately target Black voters, but there's a lot of white voter "by catch" as well. Between 2014 and 2016, how many voters would you guess were de-registered? Hint: the same number were de-registered between 2016 and 2018. [ ] 17,000 voters (seventeen thousand) [ ] 170,000 voters (one hundred and seventy thousand) [ ] 1,700,000 voters (one point seven million) [ ] 17,000,000 voters (seventeen million voters)

Hachyderm.io

The number of voters purged between 2014 and 2016, and 2016 and 2018 being about the same is important. Because this is the new "normal amount of election racism." 🤷🏿‍♂️

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/voter-purge-rates-remain-high-analysis-finds

I say "about the same" but you already know that the number of deregistrations is moving up...

The fact that voter purges occur disproportionately in places that Black people vote, and ramped up after laws designed to protect Black voters were intentionally weakened, is important too.

2/N

Voter Purge Rates Remain High, Analysis Finds

New data reveal that counties with a history of voter discrimination have continued purging people from the rolls at elevated rates.

Brennan Center for Justice
@mekkaokereke so how do we counter it? I write letters with registration info in GOTV work, but does that help alert people who may have been purged?

@carolannie

People need to check every month.

People need reminders that they can re-register.

People need reminders that they can vote by mail, or vote early, or drop-off their ballot.

Over the years, the Vote America team has proven itself to be the most effective in this regard.

https://hachyderm.io/@mekkaokereke/112924094411662837

Get out the vote efforts should focus primarily on avoiding this suppression, not "increasing voter motivation."

mekka okereke :verified: (@[email protected])

Oops! Yesterday was the 6th of August! Hey US people, please remember to check your voter registration every *5th* between now and November! ✅ July 5th ✅ August 5th ⬜ September 5th ⬜ October 5th ⬜ November 5th Check your voter registration for free online here: https://voteamerica.org You can also request your mail in ballot, so that you don't have to stand in line for hours or miss work on voting day. Why check every month? Because some of y'all have been de-registered.😮 Re-register!

Hachyderm.io
@mekkaokereke @carolannie And in the longer run people need federal voting standards (John Lewis Voting Rights Act - https://www.commoncause.org/our-work/voting-and-elections/john-r-lewis-voting-rights-act/) and states need to have non-partisan voting boards (my state just had a new rule pushed through by the GOP majority that Trump saluted as "fighting for us" in his Atlanta rally last week, that will allow county boards to NOT certify an election for completely subjective reasons. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/06/georgia-local-election-boards-allowed-withhold-vote-certification
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act is named for the civil rights hero who helped pass the original VRA. Help protect every Americans’ right to be heard.

Common Cause