As Republican-led legislatures continue a systematic push to pass laws they say are aimed at ratcheting up election security, voting rights advocates in Tennessee worry the entire nation could soon look a lot like the Volunteer State, where voter turnout and registration figures are among the lowest in the nation.
The policy debate over voting rights and election integrity has exploded in state houses across the country, ignited by last year’s contentious elections in which more people voted – particularly by absentee and mail – than ever before.
Then-President Donald Trump decried the election as fraudulent, and some Republicans responded by pursuing election-related lawsuits. After those legal maneuvers failed and nonpartisan watchdogs concluded there was no evidence of such fraud, the GOP strategy has shifted to passing new state laws that proponents say will improve election integrity.
The bills would require government photo identification in order to vote, diminish the ability of many voters to cast absentee ballots, strictly regulate voter registration and incorporate high hurdles for felons to restore their voting rights.
Even in reliably red states, such as Idaho, Iowa and Kansas, where Republicans control both legislative chambers and Trump won in 2020, elected officials have either adopted new laws or are weighing legislation that critics argue will make it more difficult to vote.