Who is the most prevalent racist in the land?

My wife had become an American last Friday and we happily rushed home with her brand new certificate and an application for new voter registration in our county. After all the primaries and elections are just around the corner and she had waited 8 years for her vote in her adopted land.
Other than the obvious questions for residency, birth dates etc.there was a line of open choice questions about our RACE! Whether black,white, Asian/Pacific, Hispanic, White non-Hispanic. Mark only one it said.
The more we looked at this preposterous requirement for " new voter registration" the more perplexed we became.
What, race? Why? Whose business is this? How dare they ask such a question, which is expressively forbidden on a job application, rental form or any other formal request for information.
As one registers to vote government has a right to note my "race"? What purpose does it serve? It cannot be logically explained, so it must be for some sinister purpose.
This kind of heavy-handed directive speaks of pure racism and a potential to abuse that information.
Seems to us, that it is government that is most preoccupied with the race card,whether in various forms of directives,legislative "agendas" or quotas.