Ocasio-Cortez on Voter Suppression in Red States

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York expressed on Tuesday that many Republican-leaning states may appear red primarily due to efforts to suppress voter turnout.

During a livestream with Protect the Vote Arizona, she stated, “A lot of red states aren’t just red or Republican; they are voter suppressed. It’s not simply that there are more Republicans than Democrats, but rather that the voting rights of communities that have traditionally supported Democrats have been gradually undermined. It creates an uneven playing field.”

Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the increasing significance of Latino voters in elections, mentioning that their role is becoming more crucial. “We have a responsibility to protect our role in democracy, ensuring that we safeguard the rights of all,” she said. Her remarks suggest that the ongoing attempts at voter suppression are a recognition of the growing power of these communities.

She implied that “they”—most likely referring to Republicans—are worried about illegal immigrants, many of whom come from Latin America, participating in elections. Ocasio-Cortez compared this to how Mexico does not allow her to vote in its elections, which she labeled as a form of “voter suppression.”

Additionally, data from the Pew Research Center shows that the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections saw some of the highest voter turnout rates in a century.

The turnout rate in 2020 hit 66%, the highest since 1908, while 2024 followed closely with a 64% turnout, tying with 1960. The last two midterm elections also experienced significant turnout not seen since the 1960s, according to Pew. The research notes that the 2024 Trump campaign may have focused on voters who skipped the polls in 2020, with infrequent voters favoring Trump over Kamala Harris by 54% to 42%.

Meanwhile, nonvoters in the 2020 election tended to prefer Joe Biden, while those who did not vote in 2018, 2020, and 2022 leaned more towards Republicans. Journalist David Weigel pointed out that Bernie Sanders’ success in the 2016 Michigan Democratic primary led to some unrealistic expectations about a leftist voter base. However, despite higher turnout in 2020, Sanders lost every county in Michigan to Biden, reaffirming the complexity of voter dynamics.