The Right Created Boot Camps for Destroying Democracy and Voting Rights
Records show how right-wing groups have used a network of conferences to teach Republican lawmakers how to gerrymander their states and suppress voting rights. Georgia is just the beginning in the war on democracy.
By promoting policies that restrict the right to vote, groups like ALEC and WallBuilders can shield legislators from the political consequences of passing such extreme policies. (Paul Sableman / Flickr)
South Dakota boasts stringent voter ID laws, and a recent review of its legislative districts shows a “persistent Republican advantage” thanks to gerrymandering. The uneven playing field has helped South Dakota garner national headlines for its right-wing legislation, such as laws attacking the separation of church and state.
The state’s Republican lawmakers didn’t come up with these policies by themselves. National organizations have been actively coaching its lawmakers on how to best take advantage of redistricting and deflect claims that voting restrictions are discriminatory, according to documents obtained through a public records request.
One of the groups, WallBuilders, made a name for itself promoting legislation on issues such as displaying religious symbols on state property. But at WallBuilders’ 2018 ProFamily Legislative Network conference in Dallas, Texas, attendees were also taught about the legal validity of restrictive voting laws, according to documents we obtained describing the event.
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