In 2004, political operatives associated with the Republican party targeted more than half a million voters in “voter caging” campaigns in nine states, according to a report released today by Project Vote, a non-partisan organization that promotes voter participation. At least 77,000 voters had their eligibility challenged between 2004 and 2006.
“The efforts in 2004 and since have been systematic in targeting precincts with a large number of African American voters in competitive states, using direct mail and sophisticated database matching to generate lists of voters to attempt to disqualify,” said Teresa James, the report’s author and election law attorney for Project Vote.
Other key findings of the report, titled “Caging Democracy” include:
- In three states (FL, PA, OH) legislatures changed the law to make voter caging easier.
- Media campaigns immediately before elections were a key part of voter caging operations. Frequently, the pre-election media campaigns alleging voter fraud were as vigorously, or more vigorously, carried out than the challenges themselves.
- Activities by state parties and other partisan activists circumvent a consent decree resulting from federal litigation that requires the RNC to obtain court approval for voter caging or other “ballot security” operations.
Voter caging is a term that drew public attention recently as a result of testimony provided by Monica Goodling, former White House liaison to the Department of Justice, to a 2007 House Judiciary Committee hearing on the firings of eight US Attorneys. Although public interest in voter caging is relatively recent, the practice has its roots in laws passed by Democratic legislatures during the Reconstruction. Republicans have engaged in voter caging on the national and state level since the late 1950’s, the report shows.
“Two states, Minnesota and Washington, have acted to protect voters rights by prohibiting voter caging,” according to Michael Slater, Project Vote’s Deputy Director. Slater added, “Targeting voters by race for challenge is antithetical to our democracy, and should be against the law everywhere.”
Download “Caging Democracy: A 50-Year History of Partisan Challenges to Minority Voters.“