Yet when voter suppression occurs, election results may be less reflective of constituents’ actual will. When voters cast a ballot, they expect their votes to matter in choosing representatives who are responsive to, reflective of, and accountable to the communities they represent. Policies and practices that limit participation by even a few thousand votes can mean the difference between victory and defeat in competitive elections. This year-perhaps uncoincidentally-severe voter suppression occurred in states with highly competitive political races, including Georgia, Texas, Florida, and North Dakota. Regardless of its form or intent, however, voter suppression is relentlessly effective in preventing voting-eligible Americans from contributing to the electoral process. And while some voter suppression measures actively seek to discriminate against certain groups, others result from innocent administrative errors and glitches. Voter suppression measures can differ by state and even by individual county. Each election cycle, untold numbers of eligible Americans are prevented from voting due to barriers in the voter registration process, restrictions on casting ballots, and discriminatory and partisan-rigged district maps. Widespread voter suppression-particularly against historically marginalized groups-is a reoccurring problem in the United States.
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