The Supreme Court issued a ruling on the Voting Rights Act in early July 2021 that upheld state authority over election procedures. The decision drew immediate reaction from Democrats who argued it opened the door to new restrictions on voting access. Republicans maintained the measures addressed legitimate concerns over election integrity. The cartoon shows the GOP elephant coating a baseball with voter suppression laws while the Supreme Court figure declares the substances acceptable. This visual ties directly to ongoing debates over absentee ballots, drop boxes and district maps following the ruling.
The drawing shows the Republican elephant in a circus ring stepping directly on a ballot box labeled as such. Papers scatter around the crushed container. The elephant wears a blanket marked voter suppression laws and a hat with the party initial. The scene occurs on a star-bordered ring floor.
On April 5, 2018, Salt Lake Tribune cartoonist Pat Bagley depicted a Republican elephant dressed as a hockey goalie blocking access to a voting booth marked with an American flag. Groups labeled minorities, immigrant citizens and youth stand in line holding papers but cannot reach the polls. The image references recent pushes by Parkland shooting survivors and other young activists to register voters ahead of the 2018 midterms. It also highlights ongoing Republican-led efforts in several states to impose stricter voter identification rules and limit early voting access. Critics argued those measures disproportionately affected minority and low-income communities.
The cartoon shows Donald Trump declaring the election rigged and urging a supporter to abandon voting efforts. He places an out of order sign on a voting booth marked vote. A small figure in a Trump shirt holds a paper nearby. The Republican elephant mascot reacts with visible shock and covers its face. The scene captures tensions around election access and integrity claims during the final weeks of the 2016 presidential race.
