Voter Suppression: How To Beat The GOP’s Tactics

Photo of a person playing chess in an article about voter suppression.

Politicians lie to get into and stay in office, but Republicans have to cheat. They do that through gerrymandering and other voter suppression tactics because they know their policy positions are unpopular.

As we see the rise of imposter candidates, we must be vigilant in revealing their tricks and discovering if they truly are Democrats. Democrats who are for the people. Republican politicians are not. They are for the conservative, evangelical culture Christians and billionaires.

Here are some Democrats who have switched to the Republican Party in 2023:

  • Mesha Mainor, a state representative from Georgia. Mainor announced her switch in July 2023, saying she was leaving the Democratic Party because it had become “too extreme.” She is the first Black Republican woman to serve in the Georgia General Assembly.
  • Tricia Cotham, a state representative from North Carolina. Cotham announced her switch in April 2023, saying that she was “no longer comfortable” with the direction of the Democratic Party. Her switch gave Republicans a veto-proof majority in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
  • Elliott Pritt, a state delegate from West Virginia. Pritt announced his switch in February 2023, saying he was “disappointed” with the Democratic Party’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the first Democrat to represent his district in the West Virginia House of Delegates since 1996.
  • Jeremy LaCombe, a state representative from Louisiana. LaCombe announced his switch in January 2023, saying he was “more aligned” with the Republican Party’s values. He is the first Democrat to represent his district in the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2016.

Researching Democratic Candidates

Here are some ways to discover if Democratic candidates are true Democrats who are for the people:

  1. Browse to OpenSecrets.org and figure out who they get their money from.
  2. We don’t vote for any candidate who takes money from gun lobbyists, weapons manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, big oil, and airlines.
  3. Then we go to Ballotpedia .org to figure out how they have voted. Because it’s one thing to say you’re for something, it’s another thing to vote for.

Republican politicians will try to suppress the youth vote or trick and confuse young voters as much as possible because they know millennials and Gen Z are a larger voting block than boomers and the silent generation.

So be aware that things will get dirty in the 2024 election. I bet there’s going to be deep fakes. I bet there will be misinformation about polling places and the day to vote.

Now would be a good time to find a local organization that interests you. That way, you can follow that local organization and keep updated on candidates you’re interested in.

When it comes time for the primary and general elections, you can see who that organization endorses. You can then fact-check their endorsements further.