Introduction
It is important to note that modern democracy is heavily reliant on the political interest and engagement of a nation’s population through the voting process. The latter is critical for ensuring that people’s voices, needs, desires, and demands are heard and acknowledged. Voter suppression is not a new phenomenon in the United States because it can be traced back to segregation. It is a deliberate act of suppressing a specific population by introducing policies limiting the ability of these groups to vote.
History of Voter Suppression
One of the earliest practices of voter suppression began emerging after the Civil War. The southern states were actively introducing Black Codes, which were designed to severely limit African Americans’ ability to partake in the voting process (Hip Hughes). A Black person was forced to prove to have employment, which could only be approved by a White individual. Although the Reconstruction eliminated these Black Codes, Jim Crow laws enabled segregation, which contained voting restrictions, where only the smallest percentage of African Americans were allowed to vote (Hip Hughes). The law mandated that people pay to vote, and the cost was unaffordable to many Black people. Literacy and comprehension tests were additional measures to discriminate against the group.
Voter suppression extends the legacies of Jim Crow by being particularly discriminative against minority groups. Voter suppression continues to be practiced because it benefits those whose power relies on minority groups being unable to participate in political endeavors. For example, the War on Drugs made African Americans more vulnerable to searches, imprisonment, and further discrimination long after the end of Jim Crow laws (Macat). Today, many eligible voters require registration, such as in Texas, which results in a low voter turnout disproportionately affecting minority groups.
Voter Suppression Today and Its Impact
The economic effect of voter suppression is that wealth inequality becomes even larger, and the majority of people living in poverty will be comprised of minority groups. The practice additionally hinders the financial capabilities of the affected individuals since their concerns and voices are silenced during the voting process. The result is a major social divide between racial communities as well as the social erosion of the latter. It is of paramount importance for minorities to vote to ensure socioeconomic equality, overall prosperity, and political stability within a nation.
There is no voting holiday, which hinders access to the voting process, and many communities of color are challenged by their higher dependence on employment or additional responsibilities. It is stated that “this lack of a designated time for voting means people without flexible jobs must balance their commitment to voting and their livelihoods” (Elias). The common requirement for voting is to use the nearest stations for polling, and their closures in African American neighborhoods manifest in systemic racism. It was found that “the places where the black and Latinx population is growing by the largest numbers have experienced the vast majority of the state’s poll site closures” (Elias). Therefore, there are many ways to suppress voters with a focus on certain groups within the general population.
Conclusion
In conclusion, voter suppression is an old practice aimed at limiting a specific group’s ability to engage in the vital political process of voting. It is still persistent today where minority groups are being limited in the overall access to voting processes. The most affected groups are non-White communities, and they are impacted socially, economically, and financially. The lack of full representation in the political arena makes their voices and concerns unheard.
Works Cited
“An Introduction to Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow – A Macat Sociology Analysis.”YouTube, uploaded by Macat, Web.
“Jim Crow and America’s Racism Explained.”YouTube, uploaded by Hip Hughes, 2016, Web.
Elias, Marc. “Notley Scholars Voter Rights Project: An Exploration of Voting Rights in Travis County.” The University of Texas at Austin, 2020, Web.