The ultimate goal of a “Voter ID” law has always been a poorly-kept secret. Voter ID laws are all about stopping members of already-disenfranchised communities from voting. For example, these laws have been shown to hurt black voters disproportionately.

Usually, proponents of these vote-suppression laws try not to tip their hands. But occasionally, they slip. Minnesota Majority, the primary organization trying to stop Minnesotans from voting, had such a slip when they posted the offensive image to the right on one of their websites, implying that Black and Hispanic voters are committing voter fraud.

Earlier today, TakeAction Minnesota and several elected officials held a press conference denouncing Minnesota Majority’s race-baiting:

State Representative Rena Moran, whose represents a racially-diverse district in St. Paul’s Frogtown, Near North End neighborhoods said she was “sickened” at the images and called the photo ID amendment they are attached to nothing less than a “21st  century Jim Crow law.” Moran said she believes “those that seek to fan the flames of racial division and fear hurt Minnesotans who are already hurting too much. These images are nothing more than scare tactics used to make sure people of color are further marginalized from public life.” [TakeAction press release (PDF)]

Rep. Moran is exactly right. The image above betrays Minnesota Majority’s true motivations — to villainize and marginalize communities who are already disenfranchised. And all to make it easier to elect Republican candidates in Minnesota. It just doesn’t get more despicable than that.