OPINION: Voting rights, once a Republican thing, now in GOP’s rearview mirror
Voting rights in America were a Republican thing for over 100 years, but the GOP made an about-face on the issue beginning with President Nixon’s southern strategy. The Republican regression has reached a fever pitch with the GOP push for passage of the preposterously-named SAVE America Act (Save Act). It would make it infinitely more difficult for women, minorities and military personnel to participate in our elections. Thankfully, the Save Act is not likely to become law, due to strong opposition from affected voter groups, including many traditional Republicans.
President Abraham Lincoln set the stage for extending voting rights to formerly enslaved African Americans in a speech delivered at the White House on April 11, 1865. Following Lincoln’s assassination, his Republican Party was able to obtain ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. It granted voting rights for the first time to Black males. Voting rights for females of any race were not on the table until ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. Again, Republicans were behind that effort.
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