www.politicususa.com/2014/04/07/joe-biden-case-voting-rights.html
"Since the 1980′s Republicans’ efforts to rig the vote focused on gerrymandering and some relatively subtle efforts to make voting harder – like broken or flawed voting machines in certain districts, or robo-calls and fliers with false and misleading information. Some Republicans “joked” about doing whatever it takes to prevent Democrats from voting – like flattening the tires on their cars.
After Barack Obama won the election of 2008, Republicans have obsessed with questioning the legitimacy of his presidency with birtherism and increasingly overt racist messaging. Their campaign to suppress the vote, while always there, but the more desperate they get, the more suppressive their policies become.
Shortly after, the Koch brothers recycled Birchersim with the “populist” Tea Party. Judson Phillips gave us the first warnings that the Koch funded “movement” was coming after our voting rights. More Kochists talk about repealing the 17th Amendment, in favor of reverting to a system of patronage in which State legislatures appoint Senators.
Red States passed ALEC initiated “Voter ID” laws with the claim that these laws are needed to stop “rampant voter fraud.” Additional tactics included eliminating same day registration and reducing or eliminating early voting. Study after study pointed to the reality that these policies targeted the demographics of voters who are more likely to vote Democrat."
