After the Supreme Court ruled that parts of the Voting Rights Act no longer applied to Southern states, understandable concern was raised by voting rights advocates. Preclearance with the U.S. Justice Department to draw voting boundaries and a host of other preclearance requirements were set aside, leaving states in the South and southern localities free to do what they wanted.
In the extreme, southern state authorities could come up with a number of ways to disenfranchise voters who are more likely to vote Democratic. They could limit voting hours, move polling places, draw unfair districts, close down polling places, or limit hours at majority Democratic precincts.
It's not clear that this is happening in droves. The Southern Republican-controlled states have already done plenty of damage to voting rights: Voter ID laws have been enacted, hours cut, districts redrawn, and some evidence of false advertisement about election dates.
Kennesaw, GA., has just closed two of its 7 precincts, possibly for legitimate reasons. Even so, this town in Cobb County, GA., needs to be watched with more than the usual vigor. It's the town that voted in 1982 a mandate that everyone own a gun. Cobb County is the county Newt Gingrich was from when he served in Congress - you know, the guy who said "Democrats are the enemy or normal people."
So far, the record shows that Kennesaw supported the Cobb Elections Commission's decision to close the two precincts for routine reasons. But, as mentioned, they must be watched.
One precinct, located at the Martha Moore Education Center on Keene St., went for President Obama in the 2012 election by a percentage (PDF) of 58% to Romney's 40%. This precinct is moving about 3/4 of a mile away because the Moore Center was closed recently by the Cobb School Board. Does this raise a red flag? In a way, it does. It is a rare precinct in Cobb County that votes majority Democratic. The Elections Commission is required to mail the precinct changes to all registered voters. Let's see if there are no glitches in that process.
The other precinct that will close and be combined into another precinct is the New Beginnings United Methodist Church on Mack Dobbs Road. It voted for Romney by 64% to Obama's 34%. Both precincts had about the same number of total votes: Martha Moore - 2304 total votes cast in that election; New Beginnings - 2142 total votes cast.
The voters in both precincts were given public notice that their precincts would close pending Justice Department approval. When that requirement was voided by the Supreme Court, Cobb County moved quickly to eliminate two precincts in Kennesaw. Of the 5 precincts left in Kennesaw, none will likely have a majority vote for a Democrat anytime soon.
Point: The South should definitely be watched closely as they move to change voting locations, requirements, and voting access laws in the wake of the Supreme Court's determination. Even the smallest precinct change could affect an election.