The sources presented clearly demonstrate the essence of the restriction of voting rights and how to solve these problems at the present stage. In her article, Arce (2021) argues that Texas’ restrictions on voter rights silence electrons and reduce their influence on meaningful decision-making, which is unacceptable. Among such limits, the author mentions the impossibility of 24/7 voting, which ultimately generates biased polls (Arce, 2021). The result is a situation where psychological barriers grow between American residents (League of Women Voters of the US, n.d.). Clark (2018) argues that the obstacles to voting are based on race and class aspects and the voters’ social status. He sees the solution to the problem in comprehensive work with voters to raise their civic engagement (Clark, 2018). In addition, the current pandemic has only made things worse for the electorate (Hasen, 2020). The imposed restrictions affect fundamental human rights, and therefore their conformity to the law must be paramount.
The authors emphasize the importance of reforms as soon as possible, as the political order of the United States depends on it. According to Hayter (2017), the closing polling places proves again that racial factors play a crucial role in what is happening. However, people should not expect much change from the country’s leaders. For example, Biden’s policies are now focused more on infrastructure reforms than on electoral issues (Nicholas, 2021). Nevertheless, it is the state that must be the forthcoming source of reforms. It is especially true since the time for them is long overdue, as evidenced by the recent capture of the Capitol. (Pitzer et al., 2021). The inability to trace the actual number of voters also makes it impossible to picture events accurately (Shattuck, 2019). A concerted fight against voting bans with public support can affect the current tendency in the States.
References
Arce, J. (2021). The racist history of voter suppression laws. UnidosUS.
Clark, J. (2018). Widening the lens on voter suppression: From calculating lost votes to fighting for effective voting rights. Othering & Belonging Institute.
Hasen, R. L. (2020). Three pathologies of American voting rights illuminated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and how to treat and cure them. Election Law Journal, 19(3), 1-26.
Hayter, J. M. (2017). The rise and fall of the Voting Rights Act by Charles S. Bullock III, Ronald Keith Gaddie, and Justin J. Wert (review). Journal of Southern History, 83(3), 750-751.
League of Women Voters of the US. (n.d). Fighting voter suppression. Web.
Nicholas, P. (2021). Is Biden doing enough to protect democracy? The Atlantic.
Pitzer, K., Mcclendon, G. G., & Sherraden, M. (2021). Voting infrastructure and process: Another form of voter suppression? Social Service Review, 95(2), 175-209.
Shattuck, J., Huang, A. & Thoreson-Green, E. (2019). The war on voting rights. Carr Center Discussion Paper Series.