Because race is a key factor in American politics, especially when it comes to discussions about civil rights like voting. Because there are heavy racial divide

Because race is a key factor in American politics, especially when it comes to discussions about civil rights like voting. Because there are heavy racial divides in partisan alignment in the US. It is impossible to have a meaningful discussion of voting rights in the US without the subject of race coming up, any more than it would be possible to have a discussion of environmental issues without discussing carbon emissions, or of reproductive medicine without discussing gender.