File- Poor People’s Campaign DC 2018. Susan Melkisethian CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The American Prospect | March 3, 2020
MOBILE, ALABAMA – While most of the country focuses on Super Tuesday’s delegate bonanzas (California and Texas), the Democratic Party in Alabama is doing its part to get out the vote in the presidential preference primary. In the Heart of Dixie, however, getting to the polls can be more difficult for some people than others. A slew of voter-suppression laws and offensives have swept the state in the past ten years. Alabama has also seen a lack of investment—or actual disinvestment—in its voting infrastructure. Poll worker trainings, voting machine upkeep and improvement, and general voter information have all been underfunded.
Since the Supreme Court’s Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder decision, Alabama has implemented several laws to suppress the vote, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Shortly after the decision, the state passed a strict voter ID law, reducing to seven the kinds of photo ID it accepted—and beginning in October, the state will require a “Real ID,” which looks like a normal ID with an added star symbol but requires more documentation to obtain. The state also tried to close down and heavily restrict the business hours of DMV offices, which is where residents can get a Real ID, and many of which happen to be in majority black counties. In 2017, Alabama also passed the Definition of Moral Turpitude Act, which helped restore voting rights to former felons but continued to prevent many formerly incarcerated people from registering to vote because of fines and fees.
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Additional Reading:
Alive And Well: Voter Suppression And Election Mismanagement In Alabama
We Should Be Outraged: Alabama Congresswoman Tackles Voter Suppression
When It Comes to Voter Suppression, Don’t Forget About Alabama