Do you know why Republicans have gotten so good at suppressing the vote? Because they pay attention to every election, no matter when it takes place and no matter how unglamorous it might seem.
We have to do the same.
Right now, the vast conservative dark money machine isn’t getting distracted by next year’s presidential election. Instead, it’s pouring resources into the states that are holding elections this year, with the ultimate goal of restricting the vote in order to entrench GOP power for years to come.
- In Louisiana, Republicans are trying to win a supermajority in the legislature so that even if the state’s Democratic governor is re-elected this fall, he won’t be able to veto future GOP gerrymanders.
- In Mississippi, they want to maintain the state’s lifetime ban on voting for people convicted of any of a long list of felonies, even those who’ve completed their sentences—a relic of Jim Crow that makes the state one of just a few to do so.
- And in Kentucky, they’re eager to flip the office of secretary of state—currently held by a Democrat—so that they’ll have complete control over how elections are run when Mitch McConnell seeks an eighth term next year.
All of these battles and many more are being fought in 2019, and Republicans know it. But so do we.
That’s why Daily Kos is taking action to support organizations in these states that are on the front lines of building the progressive movement, registering voters, and winning elections that are too often overlooked. Many of these groups are also led by and focus on activating the political power of people of color, who overwhelmingly make up the base of the Democratic Party in Southern states such as these.
By helping out organizations such as Black Voters Matter, Voice of the Experienced, and The People’s Campaign, we can take the battle directly to Republicans and thwart their voter suppression schemes. Whether your intent is to undermine the vote or to protect it, you first need to win power. These groups all understand that and are fighting to achieve that very goal, but they’re going up against some extremely well-funded opponents and can’t do it alone.
Please give $3 today to support the fight for voting rights in key elections this November!