Almost 60 years after black Americans actually got the right to vote in the US, there are several restrictions that can make it difficult for them to vote. Various restrictions such as requiring some form of identification, restrictions on opening hours at the polling station and other practical conditions surrounding voting stand in the way. Johannes Bergh is head of research at the Department of Social Research. Bergh points out that it is natural to require identification, but that in some places a type of identification is required that poor people do not have. These particularly affect black voters, a group of around 48 million people – almost 14 per cent of the population in the USA. CHANGE: Troops strike with batons to break up a civil rights march to be able to vote in Selma, Alabama, March 7, 1965. Photo: Unknown / AP Voting restrictions affect the poor According to the election researcher, the poor are the most affected by these restrictions. – There will be people with low socio-economic status, and the minorities will be represented in that group. Research shows that black Americans, indigenous peoples and Hispanics are the poorest groups in the United States. A woman from the indigenous Navajo people campaigns for Kamala Harris in Arizona, 19 October 2024. Photo: Rodrigo Abd / AP – It is the state assembly that decides. The rules vary from state to state, but in general it is more difficult to vote in Republican-governed states, while it is easier in Democratic-governed states, he says. Bergh says that in some places it is not even allowed to serve water to people queuing in the heat to vote. The southern states are the hardest Brennan Center for Justice, an organization that works to counter electoral restrictions, singles out several southern states as hard. Among other things, they point to North Carolina having introduced strict identification requirements that reduced voter turnout, even after the law was repealed. “I Voted” stickers are handed out at a polling place in North Carolina. Photo: GRANT BALDWIN / AFP Texas also has strict ID requirements, but allows voting on some occasions without proper ID. Georgia has proposed restrictions against voting on Sundays, which would hit voters of color hard. In Atlanta, a party is organized to help people vote despite restrictions. In Florida, Sunday voting was banned in 2012, which led to many black voters refraining from voting. STATES: These southern states are singled out by the Brennan Center for Justice as difficult to vote in. The researcher points out that the registration and voting process can be difficult, especially in states where you have to register in advance, while it is easier in states where you can register and vote same day. In particular, voters who have a very busy life with several jobs are affected by practical bureaucracy, according to Bergh. Johannes Bergh, head of research at the Department of Social Research. Photo: NTB But in some places the restrictions have the opposite effect. – They help to mobilize voters. They show up and vote to an even greater extent than they otherwise would have done. Norwegian Americans believe electoral discrimination occurs Lisa Cooper is a Norwegian American, and has lived in Norway since the late 1980s. She agrees with Bergh, and believes that the southern states, which have historically discriminated against blacks and other minorities, still make it difficult for them to vote. Lisa Cooper, day-to-day manager of Catalysts, is American but has lived in Norway for over 30 years. Photo: Private Ho is actually from New York, but votes in the state of Georgia. Her father’s home state, she says, is one of the most difficult areas for black voters to vote. She has experienced that herself. She talks about geographical differences: – In an area with many black residents, they can only have one school to vote for, while in an area with few white residents, there may be several schools to choose from. She believes that this difference makes it difficult for people to prioritize voting, because voting takes longer than it would otherwise. – Shift workers often have to take time off without pay or stand in long queues. Cooper, who is the former leader of Democrats Abroad, says that it makes it difficult for people who work shifts or have several jobs to vote. She would like there to be a national system for how to vote, such as in Norway, rather than each state having its own laws and rules. Published 05.11.2024, at 17.15 Updated 05.11.2024, at 20.14
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Restrictions can prevent blacks from voting in the USA – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
