Cool Democracy We've Got

[Content Note: Voter suppression; racism; classism.]

The Supreme Court's garbage voting rights decision last month paved the way for this shit: "North Carolina on Cusp of Passing Worst Voter Suppression Bill in the Nation." Among the new requirements being proposed to access voting:

Implementing a strict voter ID requirement that bars citizens who don't have a proper photo ID from casting a ballot.

Eliminating same-day voter registration, which allowed residents to register at the polls.

Cutting early voting by a full week.

Increasing the influence of money in elections by raising the maximum campaign contribution to $5,000 and increasing the limit every two years.

Making it easier for voter suppression groups like True The Vote to challenge any voter who they think may be ineligible by requiring that challengers simply be registered in the same county, rather than precinct, of those they challenge.

Vastly increasing the number of "poll observers" and increasing what they're permitted to do. In 2012, ThinkProgress caught the Romney campaign training such poll observers using highly misleading information.

Only permitting citizens to vote in their specific precinct, rather than casting a ballot in any nearby ward or election district. This can lead to widespread confusion, particularly in urban areas where many precincts can often be housed in the same building.

Barring young adults from pre-registering as 16- and 17-year-olds, which is permitted by current law, and repealing a state directive that high schools conduct voter registration drives in order to boost turnout among young voters.

Prohibiting some types of paid voter registration drives, which tend to register poor and minority citizens.

Dismantling three state public financing programs, including the landmark program that funded judicial elections.

Weakening disclosure requirements for outside spending groups.

Preventing counties from extending polling hours in the event of long lines or other extraordinary circumstances and making it more difficult for them to accommodate elderly or disabled voters with satellite polling sites at nursing homes, for instance.

Emphasis original.

Digby notes: "In case you were wondering, 40 of North Carolina's 100 counties were under the jurisdiction of Section of 5 of the Voting Rights Act. It's so lucky that the Supreme Court recognized that nobody is trying to suppress the vote anymore so there's no need for any of that."

The Republican Party has no interest in democracy, representative or otherwise. They want a corporate-funded dictatorship, masked by the thin veneer of an ostensibly democratic election to give their coup the stamp of legitimacy among the fearful bigots still scared or cruel or daft or uninformed enough to vote for them.

Which is to say nothing of the enlightened opportunists who know exactly for what they're casting a vote, and happily participate in the ridiculous ruse, because they regard cheating as a feature of the Republican Party, not a bug.