How does voter depression stifle black and brown votes?

Reality Team
October 28, 2020

This card was produced in partnership with the Stop Digital Voter Suppression Project.

“Voter Depression” campaigns work to dampen enthusiasm for a popular candidate. Many were aimed at Black and Brown communities in 2016 and now again in 2020. Their goal is to make sure that Black and Brown people don’t vote – or that a few voters switch sides.

Voter depression campaigns take many forms. Strategies and tactics vary — from using Black social media influencers to share videos saying that voting will not end systemic racism or police violence — to engaging Black celebrities (and their personal campaigns) to send negative and misleading messages about Democratic candidates. Republican party operatives also worked to get Kanye West onto ballots across the country in an attempt to get a few Black votes away from Democrats.

All of this is meant to confuse and depress Black and Brown voters, and reduce their support for Democratic Candidates.

References

Washington Post: Inside the ‘Malarkey Factory,’ Biden’s online war room

NBC News: With days left, Black voters face orchestrated efforts to discourage voting

CNN: Kanye West's campaign has hired GOP operative with history of controversial work

Washington Post: Kanye West qualifies as write-in presidential candidate in Maryland

Milwaukee Independent: A lack of enthusiasm: how Milwaukee’s Black voters could determine the national election