Poll taxes and literacy tests are gone. The Voting Rights Act outlawed the worst barriers.
But in the 21st century, voter suppression didn’t disappear — it just changed form. Instead of explicit bans, today’s tactics raise barriers that look neutral on the surface but still make it harder for certain groups to vote.
What Does Modern Suppression Look Like?
The tools have changed, but the effect is familiar: fewer people at the polls, especially from marginalized communities.
- Strict Voter ID Laws: Many states require specific forms of identification. Passports and driver’s licenses are accepted, but student IDs or tribal IDs often aren’t — despite being valid government-issued documents.
- Polling Place Closures: Thousands of polling places, especially in minority or rural communities, have been closed since 2013. Longer travel distances and longer lines mean fewer votes cast.
- Voter Roll Purges: States routinely remove people from voting rolls. Sometimes it’s to keep records clean — but in practice, eligible voters get purged and must re-register.
- Reduced Early Voting: Cutting back early voting days and hours disproportionately affects working people who can’t take Election Day off.
- Vote-by-Mail Restrictions: Complicated rules, signature-matching errors, and drop-box limits add hurdles.
Each tactic on its own may seem small. But together, they create a climate where voting is harder than it needs to be.
How It Worked in Practice
- After Shelby County v. Holder (2013): The Supreme Court struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act that required certain states to get federal approval before changing voting laws. Within hours, states began rolling out stricter ID requirements and new restrictions.
- Georgia (2018): Voter roll purges and exact-match ID requirements disproportionately affected Black voters.
- Texas: Student IDs not accepted, but concealed-carry permits are.
- Arizona: Reduction in polling places led to hours-long lines in heavily Latino precincts.
The methods may not say “discrimination” outright, but the outcomes echo the past.
Why It Still Matters
- Disproportionate Impact: Voter ID laws hit the elderly, poor, and people of color hardest — groups less likely to have driver’s licenses or passports.
- Erosion of Trust: Voter purges and long lines discourage participation, sending the message that votes don’t count.
- Unequal Burden: Wealthier and whiter communities often keep easy access, while others face the greatest obstacles.
- Echo of History: Just like poll taxes and literacy tests, these barriers don’t explicitly name race, but their effects fall along predictable lines.
Wider Impacts
- Black and Latino Voters: Consistently face higher barriers under modern laws.
- Indigenous Voters: Many reservations lack traditional street addresses, creating challenges under strict ID requirements.
- Young Voters: Student IDs often rejected, limiting access for first-time voters.
- Rural Voters: Polling place closures increase travel times for those already far from town centers.
Stories of Resilience
Despite these challenges, communities push back:
- Grassroots groups run voter registration drives, help people get IDs, and provide rides to the polls.
- Courts have struck down the harshest restrictions in some states.
- Record turnouts in recent elections show determination even when obstacles rise.
The story of suppression is also the story of persistence.
Beyond Blame: Building With Each Other
Modern voter suppression isn’t always the product of one lawmaker or one policy. It’s the accumulation of choices that raise the cost of voting for some, while making it easy for others.
Facing this history and present reality together helps us ask:
- Should voting be harder, or easier?
- What would it look like to make access equal for every citizen?
- How can we honor the long struggle for voting rights by protecting them today?
Dig Deeper
- Resource: Brennan Center for Justice – Voting Laws Roundup
- Court Case: Shelby County v. Holder (2013) — weakening of the Voting Rights Act’s preclearance rule.
- Related ECC Articles (future links):
- The Voting Rights Act: A Hard-Won Victory
- Felony Disenfranchisement: Punishment Beyond Prison
- Resistance and Resilience: Grassroots Power at the Ballot Box
Closing Invitation
Modern suppression may not use the same names as the past, but it follows the same pattern: raising barriers for some while leaving doors wide open for others.
Every Chapter Counts is about shining a light on these patterns — not to create despair, but to spark determination. The vote has always been worth fighting for, and the fight continues.
