Maddow: Good luck voting today if you aren't white
On Monday night's edition of "The Rachel Maddow Show," host Rachel Maddow had a look at the various ways in which Republicans are trying to keep people from voting on this Election Day, particularly people who belong to typically Democratic constituencies like African-Americans and students.
In Texas, for example, Maddow explained, in the last few elections whites have voted overwhelmingly Republican, whereas African-Americans and Latinos have voted overwhelmingly Democrat. Similarly, party votes broke down among income groups. People making $50,000 per year or more tended to vote Republican and poorer people have voted Democrat.
The Republican-dominated state legislature has enacted a series of stringent voter ID laws as well as other measures designed to disproportionately impact minority voters and poor people.
"Texas Republicans are thinking, 'There's got to be a way to keep these folks from voting,'" Maddow said. "There's got to be a way to keep them away."
Similar efforts are underway in other states having elections today like New Jersey and Virginia.
"That dynamic that is at work in Texas, that is about 'Who's going to be allowed to vote?'" said Maddow. "That dynamic is happening all over the country."
Maddow welcomed Texas Democratic Rep. Marc Veasey, who agreed that the ID laws in Texas are specifically designed by Republicans to keep Democratic voters from the polls.