LogFAQs > #980093984

SauI_Goodman posted...

I never understood this voter intimidation thing. Like when the black panthers showed up with a billy club and stood outside the polling station in Philly. Like how are you even going to know who I voted for lmao

"Hey... did you vote for my guy?"
"Sure did!"

I don't know about the black panthers but when the KKK did it they would just find the black person who voted and kill them later regardless of who they voted for. The point was don't come to vote because then you die.

https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/the-ku-klux-klan-and-violence-at-the-polls

In the period leading up to the 1868 presidential election, the Klans activities expanded across the South, using threats of violence, beatings, and worse to intimidate Republican voters. A campaign of widespread terror took hold as the presidential election neared. In Kansas, there were more than 2,000 politically motivated murders. In Georgia, the number of threats and beatings was even higher. And in Louisiana, 1,000 freed people were killed.

Violence surrounding the 1868 election thwarted reform efforts by preventing Republicans from voting. New Orleans had 21,000 voters registered as Republicans, but only 276 people cast votes for the Republican candidates because voters were intimidated and threatened with violence. Despite Democratic victories in states like Louisiana, Kansas, and Georgia, Republicans ultimately prevailed in the 1868 presidential election and sent Ulysses S. Grant to the White House.

Also reminder that back in the day the Republican was the progressive party, it was basically reversed. This confuses some people.