Voter Suppression Patterns

// Voter suppression adapts to legal constraints
HISTORICAL_METHODS (now illegal):
    - poll_tax                 // 24th Amendment (1964)
    - literacy_test           // VRA Section 4 (1965)
    - grandfather_clause      // Guinn v. US (1915)
    - white_primary           // Smith v. Allwright (1944)

MODERN_METHODS (legally contested):
    - strict_voter_id         // Disproportionate ID access
    - registration_deadlines  // Distant from election day
    - poll_closures          // Reduce access in targeted areas
    - voter_roll_purges      // Algorithmic removal of "inactive" voters
    - felon_disenfranchisement // 5.2 million affected
    - limited_voting_hours   // Conflicts with working schedules
    
// Same function, different implementation
FUNCTION suppress_vote(target_demographic):
    method = select_legal_method()
    WHILE method.impact_on(target_demographic) < threshold:
        method = next_legal_method()
    RETURN method

// Shelby County v. Holder (2013)
BEFORE shelby:
    covered_jurisdictions = 9 states + portions of 7 more
    
    FUNCTION change_election_law(jurisdiction, change):
        IF jurisdiction IN covered:
            REQUIRE federal_preclearance(change)
            // DOJ or DC Court must approve
        APPLY change
        
AFTER shelby:
    covered_jurisdictions = NONE
    preclearance_required = FALSE
    
    // New changes within 24 hours of ruling:
    texas -> implements_strict_voter_id()
    mississippi -> implements_voter_id()
    alabama -> implements_voter_id()
    north_carolina -> omnibus_voting_restrictions()

// Impact (2013-2020)
new_restrictive_laws = 25 states
poll_closures_in_formerly_covered = 1,688
voter_purges_increase = 33%

// North Carolina HB 589 (struck down 2016)
FUNCTION craft_voter_id_law():
    // Step 1: Request racial data on ID types
    data = request_dmv_data(breakdown_by_race=TRUE)
    
    // Step 2: Identify IDs disproportionately held by Black voters
    disproportionate_black = [
        "public_assistance_id",
        "government_employee_id",
        "out_of_precinct_provisional"
    ]
    
    // Step 3: Exclude those IDs from acceptable list
    acceptable_ids = all_ids - disproportionate_black
    
    // Step 4: Accept IDs disproportionately held by white voters
    acceptable_ids.add("hunting_license")  // 90%+ white holders
    acceptable_ids.add("concealed_carry")  // Similar demographics
    
    // Court finding: "target African Americans with almost surgical precision"

// ID possession rates
DEMOGRAPHIC white_voters:
    has_acceptable_id = 0.91
    
DEMOGRAPHIC black_voters:
    has_acceptable_id = 0.73
    
gap = 0.18  // 18 percentage point disparity

// Crosscheck Program (used by 27 states until 2019)
FUNCTION crosscheck_purge(voter_lists):
    FOR voter_a IN state_a_list:
        FOR voter_b IN state_b_list:
            IF voter_a.first_name == voter_b.first_name AND
               voter_a.last_name == voter_b.last_name AND
               voter_a.dob == voter_b.dob:
                FLAG as potential_duplicate
    
    // Problem: Common names + DOB = false positives
    // "Maria Garcia" born 1/15/1980 matches thousands
    
    // Demographic impact analysis
    name_commonality_by_race:
        white_surnames = more_unique  // Schmidt, O'Brien
        black_surnames = less_unique  // Williams, Johnson
        hispanic_surnames = less_unique  // Garcia, Rodriguez
        asian_surnames = less_unique  // Lee, Kim, Nguyen
    
    // Result: Minority voters 85% more likely to be flagged
    false_positive_rate = 0.993  // 99.3% of matches were errors

// Georgia 2018: 340,000 purged for not voting
// Many discovered on Election Day they couldn't vote

// Current state of felon disenfranchisement
STATE_POLICIES:
    permanent_ban = [Alabama*, Florida*, Kentucky, Tennessee*, Virginia*]
                   // *with restoration process
    
    post_sentence = [Arizona, Delaware, Nebraska, Nevada, ...]
    
    probation_parole = [California, Colorado, Connecticut, ...]
    
    incarceration_only = [DC, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, ...]
    
    no_restriction = [Maine, Vermont]  // Can vote from prison

// Racial impact
FUNCTION calculate_disenfranchisement():
    total_disenfranchised = 5,200,000
    
    black_voting_age_pop = 30,000,000
    black_disenfranchised = 1,700,000
    black_rate = 5.7%
    
    all_other_rate = 1.5%
    
    disparity_ratio = 5.7 / 1.5 = 3.8x

// Florida Amendment 4 (2018)
// Voters restored rights to 1.4 million
// Legislature added fines/fees requirement
// Effect: 80% still cannot vote due to unpaid obligations