Suppression or fraud?

On July 8, the Washington Post revealed that Arkansas was the only state to have sent information to the presidential commission trying to collect personal data on voters. The story was mostly about a lawsuit to block the commission, but the online comments were almost all about Arkansas. It’s impressive how many ways literate people can say “stupid.”

The lawsuit will review whether the president can legally order the creation of a national database of voter information and will examine security procedures.

The commission, I suspect, is not about salving Donald Trump’s fragile ego over losing the popular vote. The Republican Party has been systematically involved in voter suppression— unlike “voter fraud,” a real threat—for decades. The Supreme Court recently invalidated their schemes based on race and is looking at others. If Republicans can put together a national database of voters’ personal data, voter suppression will become much easier.

Almost none of us has a unique name. Other people with my name, or yours, may be felons, and many have voted in other states. If I do not respond to a postcard sent to some Roger Webb, maybe I will be declared dead. I will not know I have been removed from the voting rolls until I am prevented from voting.

I wish I could attribute Mark Martin’s compliance with the data request to stupidity as readers of the Post were ready to do. I suspect he was eager to send data that would make it easier for Republicans to keep me from voting.

Since July 8, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette has printed one op-ed piece supporting the commission, but I haven’t seen a single news story on what is going on or our status as the one compliant state. Be careful guys, your bias is showing.

ROGER WEBB

Little Rock