Rachel Maddow Shreds Republicans For Making It Harder For Americans To Vote

Rachel Maddow praised voters in Super Tuesday states – particularly Texas – for waiting hours to cast their ballot in the Democratic primary, but she called it an outrage that it’s so hard to vote in America.

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The MSNBC host pinned the blame on Republicans for “systematically” creating obstacles for young people and minorities to cast their ballots.

“It is an outrage that it is this hard to cast a vote in this country,” Maddow said. “It’s wrong and it should not take that much heroism and that much sacrifice to do your civic duty.”

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Maddow said:

It is an outrage that it is this hard to cast a vote in this country, and I know it is not only Texas but in Texas specifically over successive electoral cycles over the past ten years, the Republican-led government in Texas has made it harder and harder and harder to vote, not only in terms of the kind of documentation you have to show when you get there, but also, they have been closing precincts. They have been closing voting places. Systematically. Particularly, in places that have high minority, young people, and poor people turnout. And so some of this is deliberate. And I will say you see spikes in voter turnout some places and you get long lines and it is more inspiring than infuriating because nobody tried to make this situation happen. But in some places in the country, and I believe Texas is one of them, it is because the state government wants it to be hard to vote. And it is — it’s wrong and it should not take that much heroism and that much sacrifice to do your civic duty.

Republicans know they lose when more people vote

Republicans have figured something out about American politics: The more people that are able to vote, the less likely the GOP is to win elections.

So instead of appealing to a broader, diverse coalition of Americans, they have launched a crusade to make it harder for minorities, young people, and low-income folks to vote.

It’s inspiring to see voters wait in line for hours to cast their ballots, but it shouldn’t have to be that hard to exercise your right to vote in the United States of America.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.