Valdosta State University Professor: Voter Suppression Laws May Not Change Election Outcomes – For Now
An associate professor of political science at Valdosta State University says voting should be easy, but some states are trying to make it hard through voter suppression laws.
“What you are seeing is a long-term pattern of Republicans taking steps to tilt elections in their favor,” said Dr. Bernard Tamas on Thursday’s edition of “Closer Look.”
Tamas told show host Rose Scott that there are two types of voting laws: laws that ban voters completely and laws that increase the cost of voting by making it more difficult to vote.
“My research doesn’t say voter suppression laws don’t matter. I’m saying voter suppression laws at the moment don’t matter,” said Tamas, who recently wrote an op-ed piece titled “Georgia Voter Suppression Efforts May Not Change Election Results Much,” which was published in The Conversation, a nonprofit news organization.
In the opinion piece, Tamas shares why he believes Georgia’s new controversial voting law may not change election outcomes for now, but if voting suppression laws become more severe, then they could potentially change election outcomes.
Tamas says voter fraud is an imagined problem, and negative reaction from voter groups and the Democratic Party keep voter suppression laws from being effective.
To listen to the full conversation, click the audio player above.
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