Voting Rights: After Blue Wave, GOP States Move To Restrict The Vote

Last week saw a number of states move forward with measures making it harder to vote. The wave comes after a midterm elections where turnout was at historic levels. In Tennessee, the governor on Thursday signed into law a bill targeting voter registration drives by imposing hefty fines on the group behind the drive if it turns in too many incomplete applications. The Tennessee chapter of the NAACP has already filed a suit challenging the law. In Florida, the legislature approved a bill that will require felons seeking the restoration of their voting rights pay off all fines and fees, including administrative fees not related to their sentence. The move, if signed into law, would blunt the impact of a felon re-enfranchisement ballot initiative Florida voters approved last year. The measure, which now heads to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk, has been criticized as a poll tax. Florida’s criminal justice system is known for its especially steep administrative fees imposed on…