What is Voter Suppression?

Definition and meaning of voter suppression: Voter suppression is the practice of limiting or inhibiting the ability of eligible voters to exercise their right to vote in an election. This is often done through discriminatory practices such as strict voter ID laws, purging of voter rolls, gerrymandering, and the manipulation of voting locations. These tactics are often employed by political parties, special interest groups, and elected officials to suppress the votes of those they deem unlikely to support their candidates or causes. Voter suppression also disproportionately affects minority populations, young people, and low-income communities. Voter suppression has a detrimental effect on our nation’s commitment to fairness and equal representation, as it undermines the fundamental right of citizens to participate in the democratic process. This type of manipulation of the electoral system is antithetical to the idea of free and fair elections, as it seeks to limit voter turnout and ultimately skew the outcome of the election. The result is a less diverse, less representative democracy that is more likely to be dominated by the two major political parties, which can lead to a lack of genuine competition and a decrease in the quality of representation for the American people.