Words by: Bria Grant
As the 2024 election season unfolds, voter suppression remains a pressing concern for marginalized communities across the United States. The right to vote is meant to be a cornerstone of democracy. Unfortunately, the reality in 2024 is that many Americans—particularly Black, Latino, and low-income communities—face significant barriers to casting their ballots.
Modern voter suppression tactics are more sophisticated than ever before. Restrictive voter ID laws, mass deletion of voter rolls, and the reduction of polling locations have continued to increase. These efforts are designed to make voting more difficult for groups whose voices are critical in shaping policies around social justice, health care, and education.
One of the most troubling trends in 2024 is the wave of new voter ID laws, particularly in battleground states. These laws require new forms of identification that many voters, such as students and those from low-income communities, cannot comply with. In many states, previously accepted methods of ID are no longer valid. Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio are just a few of 27 states to enact restrictive laws regarding ID requirements for voter registration. These measures create unnecessary roadblocks, effectively disenfranchising countless voters.
Additionally, state-led purges of voter rolls are removing eligible voters without sufficient notice or justification. These purges disproportionately target voters in minority communities, removing them from the rolls due to errors, outdated data, or arbitrary criteria. North Carolina recently removed over 747,000 voters from their registered database. Although the NCSBE reported this mass removal as a measure of “routine maintenance,” it is worth noting that the GOP and Republican National Committee filed a suit against the NCSBE regarding their identification validation process.
Polling place closures in minority and rural areas remain another key tactic of suppression. In 2024, voters in Black and Brown communities are facing long lines, sometimes waiting hours just to cast a ballot, as states reduce the number of polling locations. Research has shown that nationwide polling places have decreased from 200,000 in 2018 to 94,793 in 2022.
In response, organizations such as Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, the Legal Defense Fund, and Protect The Vote are combating voter suppression tactics through grassroots efforts and advocating for new legislation.
The fight against voter suppression in 2024 is about more than just election outcomes. If we allow these tactics to persist and expand, the voices of millions of Americans—particularly those in Black, Brown, and low-income communities—will continue to be silenced.