Monitor
Don’t Let High Turnout Distract You From the Reality of Voter Suppression
Kentucky and Georgia are having historic turnouts, but that doesn’t mean voters aren’t facing major obstacles
Kentucky and Georgia’s historic voter turnouts for primary elections are a tremendous victory, one that speaks to the backbreaking work of thousands of volunteers, organizers, and candidates (many of them Black, Indigenous, and of color) who drove out the vote in their districts. But high turnout does not automatically rule out disenfranchisement, and we must continue to advocate for a more fair, secure, and accessible voting experience in these last few months leading up to the November general election.
For many states, Covid-19 has shaken up election procedures. For the first time, Kentucky allowed “no excuse” early voting and mail-in voting for all voters. An estimated 1.1 million ballots have been cast for the June 23 primary, a number that far exceeds previous presidential primary elections. Democratic Governor Andy Beshear praised the results: “I think that’s the opposite of voter suppression. We’ve had no-excuse early voting for the first time in our history. I think that’s the opposite of voter suppression. We’ve had 170,000 people have their voting rights restored…
