Stealing Democracy: The New Politics of Voter Suppression (Hardcover)

by Spencer Overton (Author)
Key Phrases: voter integrity, antifraud regulations, bilingual ballots, Voting Rights Act, African Americans, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Overton takes a wonky but worthy look at the "matrix" of "thousands of election regulations and practices" that can discourage—if not completely suppress—citizens from voting or make their votes count less. A law professor and election reform activist, Overton makes concrete proposals for restoring power to voters. Redistricting, he says, is often conducted in a partisan manner; Overton recommends that the United States assign the responsibility to an independent commission. He calls for federal standards for counting ballots and the provision of voting machines. The much-debated Voting Rights Act, Overton argues, remains vital, though those invoking it should more carefully analyze "practices that disadvantage voters of color." In answer to those bilingual education opponents who might withhold "democracy from Americans with limited English skills," he also argues that bilingual ballots would "advance citizen engagement." Overton warns that a photo ID requirement for voting would exclude those (e.g., the poor, many people of color) who don't have driver's licenses. Citing relatively low voter turnout and lack of centralized election oversight, the author notes how the United States "deviates from democratic norms" of other established democracies, concluding with profiles of activists to inspire the citizens' movement needed to enact the sensible reforms he advocates. (June)
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Review
A must-read for anyone who is concerned about our deeply flawed electoral system. -- Congressman John Conyers, Jr.

A through, brilliant and impartial assessment of continuing problems at the ballot box. -- Donna Brazile, author of Cooking with Grease : Stirring the Pots in American Politics

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton; 1 edition (June 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393061590
• ISBN-13: 978-0393061598
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #866,940 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating read, July 7, 2006

By	Joshua A. H. Harris "enviro attorney" (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mr. Overton's insightful, eye-opening presentation of critical and often overlooked problems with America's system of voting and democratic representation is a must-read for political science students, law students, and, quite frankly, anyone who votes (and wants his or her vote to count). Stealing Democracy is comprehensible, elegant, and highly stimulating.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The kind of information EVERY American voter needs to know!, June 19, 2006

By	S. Divers "shrdiv" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I highly recommend this powerful book! American voters are inundated with superficial corporate media reports that tap dances across the surface of complex issues like the health of American democracy, our elections and immigration.

Spencer Overton's highly readable "Stealing Democracy" explores what is really going on behind the curtains of our American democracy in our local communities, the state and national level. And it is chilling. But it is the kind of frank discussion that the American public needs to read so that we will be in a better position to get involved as citizens and exert a truer ownership over our own government that has so much daily influence on our lives.

I particularly appreciated how Professor Overton looks back at the historical roots of voter suppression in our American political system dating back to the early 1800s. The more things change, the more they stay the same: He examines gerry-mandering, the English-only Movement, voter registration purging, Voter ID legislation, and all the other ways that politicians continue to try to discourage those people that aren't inclined to vote for them to stay home on Election Day.

Professor Overton also looks at the chilling ways in which the venerable Voting Rights Act of 1965 is currently under attack by the right wing.

Today it is obvious to whomever is paying attention that there is a sustained effort to turn the clock way back on voter enfranchisement for the elderly, the poor, people of color and the handicapped.

Enlighten yourself on the new politics of voter suppression and how we can stop it: Read this book and recommend it to your friends as well!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The legitimacy of democracy depends upon the right of every citizen to vote.", June 10, 2006

By	Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Voting in national elections has become a hot topic in the last two national elections, especially since the common use of computerized voting machines, particularly those without paper receipts. The democratic vote is vital to the health of the nation and it behooves every citizen, regardless of party affiliation, to be well informed, insuring the security of a vital process in choosing our elected officials. In Stealing Democracy, Overton reveals some of the current problems in the voting "matrix" in an effort to stimulate discussion and action on the part of concerned citizens: "In our closely divided political environment, even an obscure election rule in a single state can determine who sits in the White House or which party controls Congress."

The author emphasizes, and rightly so, that there is no great conspiracy orchestrated by a few. Rather, there is a "collection of ever-changing rules and practices employed... that shape who goes to the polls and which votes are counted." The voting process is affected by election laws, secretaries of state, election commissioners, county election boards, poll challenges and poll workers, not to mention budgetary constraints, fraud prevention and "state's rights". With the potential for abuse inherent in bureaucracy, "America's founders divided government power among executive, legislative and judicial branches in order to prevent abuses."

Each chapter addresses different aspects of the complex voting matrix at this point in our history: Chapter One questions who is guarding the gates of our democracy and who is in charge of redrawing district boundaries; Chapter Two speaks to local control of elections and how available monies affect the democratic process; Chapter Three takes on the elephant in the living room, whether race still matters in America; Chapter Four discusses the critical importance of the federal Voting Rights Act and how it protects citizens against the discriminatory legislation of state and local politicians; Chapter Five considers all aspects of making voting available to all citizens, with attention to bilingual issues; and Chapter Six tackles "an emerging anti-fraud movement that proposes... voter-ID requirements that threaten to exclude more legitimate voters than fraudulent ones."

The concluding chapter takes these issues to the people, where the discussion belongs, average Americans from all walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds and their views on potential reforms in the community. A tall order for a small book, but Overton injects much-needed clarity into a subject that becomes more critical with each election. There are no easy answers and reform is slow, but in the words of Thom Hartmann (What Would Jefferson Do?): "Systematic change never happens from the top down: it's always from the bottom up." Luan Gaines/2006.