The Georgia Governor's Race Has Brought Voter Suppression Into Full View

[sheshe2]

Last edited Tue Nov 6, 2018, 07:27 PM - Edit history (1)

America is undergoing the kind of slow erosion of democracy that the Voting Rights Act was intended to fight.

Read More:https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/11/how-voter-suppression-actually-works/575035/

The Georgia governor’s race is balanced on a knife’s edge. Local polls have the Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams and her GOP opponent, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, virtually tied. Abrams’s team in particular will scramble to make sure every provisional ballot is completed, that every person who faced challenges to registration is able to participate, that all absentee and vote-by-mail ballots are counted, and that every allegation of intimidation or unfair practices on Election Day is investigated. In a race in which a December runoff is a distinct possibility if neither candidate can secure 50 percent support, every single vote matters.

But no matter the outcome, it’s clear that voter rights and suppression will be one of the major stories of the 2018 election in Georgia. The state has become the battleground for something deeper than the ideas of the candidates themselves; it’s now emblematic of a larger struggle over voting rights that has changed party politics markedly over the past five years. The true nature of voter suppression as an accumulation of everyday annoyances, legal barriers, and confusion has come into full view. Today, voter suppression is a labyrinth, not a wall.


That labyrinth has been under construction for years. Kemp has embarked on what his opponents and critics say is a series of naked attempts to constrict the electorate. Since 2010, his office reports that it has purged upwards of 1.4 million voters from the rolls, including more than 660,000 Georgians in 2017 and almost 90,000 this year. Many of those voters found their registration canceled because they had not voted in the previous election. Additionally, under an “exact match” law passed by the state legislature that requires handwritten voter registrations to be identical to personal documents, 53,000 people had their registrations moved to “pending” status because of typos or other errors before a district court enjoined the policy. More than 80 percent of those registrations belonged to black voters.

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Read: How Shelby County v. Holder broke America

How Shelby County v. Holder Broke America
In the five years since the landmark decision, the Supreme Court has set the stage for a new era of white hegemony.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/07/how-shelby-county-broke-america/564707/

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Included in those recently enacted laws are most of Kemp’s most controversial policies. In late October, U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May enjoined the exact-match law, a policy that allowed election officials to reject absentee ballots because of signature mismatches. On Kemp’s watch, Georgia has lost almost a tenth of its polling places since 2012, with the majority of closings occurring in poor counties and those with significant African American populations. New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice finds that Georgia—along with Florida and North Carolina—has increased its voter-purge rates since the Shelby County decision.

………………………….

Both good reads. Voter suppression is real. They are doing their best to stop this. However they can't do it alone.

Georgia has been on top of this from the beginning.

[Wintryjade]

1. We keep having these moments for what seems like a decade. Factually we know this.

Still, Republicans continue to get away with it. They get called out on it while they do it. Then we all move on. They do it again. Pushing it further and further.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. "continue to get away with it"

They do continue to get away with it and I don't understand how this is not depriving people of their civil rights. That's how the feds got the KKK, isn't it?

[central scrutinizer]

2. Seriously fucked up

Any white mental patient can buy an AR-15 with a banana clip and a bump stock but a brown person who wants to vote? Forget it.

[msongs]

3. one of his campaign ads was like a KKK recruiting film nt

[NurseJackie]

4. And people still make light of a very serious problem. Sad.

And people still make light of a very serious problem. Sad. Disgusting. (For obvious reasons, that's all I'm going to say about that subject.)

[sheshe2]

7. +++++

[brer cat]

20. Yep.

I guess it only matters if something happens to them.

[Solly Mack]

5. K&R

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. Lock Kemp UP!

He needs jail time for this. The only higher crime would involve directly causing loss of life or limb.

[sheshe2]

9. Yes he does.

So lock him up!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. aha! 18 U.S. Code 242

18 U.S. Code § 242 - Deprivation of rights under color of law



Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 696; Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 103(b), Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 75; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7019, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(b), title XXXII, §§ 320103(b), 320201(b), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1970, 2109, 2113, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, §§ 604(b)(14)(B), 607(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3511.)

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/242

[sheshe2]

13. Thank you for looking that up, HTP.

The man belongs in prison, not the Governors mansion. I am furious, because he is doing all this in plain sight!

Gawd watching Rachel talking about this now.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

24. lawyers or paralegals?

I'd really like to see what lawyers or paralegals think about it. Law only resembles English.

[meow2u3]

14. Also, U.S. Code 245

18 U.S. Code § 245 - Federally protected activities

(a)
(1) Nothing in this section shall be construed as indicating an intent on the part of Congress to prevent any State, any possession or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia, from exercising jurisdiction over any offense over which it would have jurisdiction in the absence of this section, nor shall anything in this section be construed as depriving State and local law enforcement authorities of responsibility for prosecuting acts that may be violations of this section and that are violations of State and local law. No prosecution of any offense described in this section shall be undertaken by the United States except upon the certification in writing of the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General, the Associate Attorney General, or any Assistant Attorney General specially designated by the Attorney General that in his judgment a prosecution by the United States is in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice, which function of certification may not be delegated.
(2) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the authority of Federal officers, or a Federal grand jury, to investigate possible violations of this section.
(b) Whoever, whether or not acting under color of law, by force or threat of force willfully injures, intimidates or interferes with, or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with—
(1) any person because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from—
(A) voting or qualifying to vote, qualifying or campaigning as a candidate for elective office, or qualifying or acting as a poll watcher, or any legally authorized election official, in any primary, special, or general election;
(B) participating in or enjoying any benefit, service, privilege, program, facility, or activity provided or administered by the United States;
(C) applying for or enjoying employment, or any perquisite thereof, by any agency of the United States;
(D) serving, or attending upon any court in connection with possible service, as a grand or petit juror in any court of the United States;
(E) participating in or enjoying the benefits of any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance; or
(2) any person because of his race, color, religion or national origin and because he is or has been—
(A) enrolling in or attending any public school or public college;
(B) participating in or enjoying any benefit, service, privilege, program, facility or activity provided or administered by any State or subdivision thereof;
(C) applying for or enjoying employment, or any perquisite thereof, by any private employer or any agency of any State or subdivision thereof, or joining or using the services or advantages of any labor organization, hiring hall, or employment agency;
(D) serving, or attending upon any court of any State in connection with possible service, as a grand or petit juror;
(E) traveling in or using any facility of interstate commerce, or using any vehicle, terminal, or facility of any common carrier by motor, rail, water, or air;
(F) enjoying the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any inn, hotel, motel, or other establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, or of any restaurant, cafeteria, lunchroom, lunch counter, soda fountain, or other facility which serves the public and which is principally engaged in selling food or beverages for consumption on the premises, or of any gasoline station, or of any motion picture house, theater, concert hall, sports arena, stadium, or any other place of exhibition or entertainment which serves the public, or of any other establishment which serves the public and (i) which is located within the premises of any of the aforesaid establishments or within the premises of which is physically located any of the aforesaid establishments, and (ii) which holds itself out as serving patrons of such establishments; or
(3) during or incident to a riot or civil disorder, any person engaged in a business in commerce or affecting commerce, including, but not limited to, any person engaged in a business which sells or offers for sale to interstate travelers a substantial portion of the articles, commodities, or services which it sells or where a substantial portion of the articles or commodities which it sells or offers for sale have moved in commerce; or
(4) any person because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from—
(A) participating, without discrimination on account of race, color, religion or national origin, in any of the benefits or activities described in subparagraphs (1)(A) through (1)(E) or subparagraphs (2)(A) through (2)(F); or
(B) affording another person or class of persons opportunity or protection to so participate; or
(5) any citizen because he is or has been, or in order to intimidate such citizen or any other citizen from lawfully aiding or encouraging other persons to participate, without discrimination on account of race, color, religion or national origin, in any of the benefits or activities described in subparagraphs (1)(A) through (1)(E) or subparagraphs (2)(A) through (2)(F), or participating lawfully in speech or peaceful assembly opposing any denial of the opportunity to so participate—
shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if bodily injury results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include the use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death. As used in this section, the term “participating lawfully in speech or peaceful assembly” shall not mean the aiding, abetting, or inciting of other persons to riot or to commit any act of physical violence upon any individual or against any real or personal property in furtherance of a riot. Nothing in subparagraph (2)(F) or (4)(A) of this subsection shall apply to the proprietor of any establishment which provides lodging to transient guests, or to any employee acting on behalf of such proprietor, with respect to the enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of such establishment if such establishment is located within a building which contains not more than five rooms for rent or hire and which is actually occupied by the proprietor as his residence.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed so as to deter any law enforcement officer from lawfully carrying out the duties of his office; and no law enforcement officer shall be considered to be in violation of this section for lawfully carrying out the duties of his office or lawfully enforcing ordinances and laws of the United States, the District of Columbia, any of the several States, or any political subdivision of a State. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the term “law enforcement officer” means any officer of the United States, the District of Columbia, a State, or political subdivision of a State, who is empowered by law to conduct investigations of, or make arrests because of, offenses against the United States, the District of Columbia, a State, or a political subdivision of a State.
(d) For purposes of this section, the term “State” includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(Added Pub. L. 90–284, title I, § 101(a), Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 73; amended Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7020(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4396; Pub. L. 101–647, title XII, § 1205(b), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4830; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60006(c), title XXXII, § 320103(c), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), (L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1971, 2109, 2147; Pub. L. 104–294, title VI, § 604(b)(14)(C), (37), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3507, 3509.)

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/245

[Hermit-The-Prog]

17. calling all prosecutors

That one is even more on point. I know prosecutors like options; there are 2 so far.

[aikoaiko]

10. I live in GA and I'm not happy about the stories I'm seeing on FB.

For example, in one heavily populated black working-class neighborhood, the precinct only had one machine.

The good news is that people are staying in lines for 2, 3, and 4+ hours.

Other people are bringing snacks and water bottles to those standing in lines.

[sheshe2]

12. I read about the one machine.

I don't live there and I am furious.

Thanks to all that are staying in line to vote.

[BigmanPigman]

15. Unbelievable!

We have polls open every 4 blocks in San Diego until 8 PM. This is a foreign concept to me, thank goodness. If I couldn't vote I would raise Hell until the next election.

[Ferrets are Cool]

16. What do we do about it other than bytch?

WE know it's been going on for some time and it just keeps getting worse. That is NOT encouraging.

[diva77]

19. Abrams should definitely NOT concede if it gets called for KKKemp

and people need to document every instance of election fraud/voter suppression/irregularities and gather signed affidavits - for starters. I'm not a lawyer - better to get advice from legal expert

[sheshe2]

22. Well.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211273554

[PatrickforO]

18. These people are slime.

When sanity again prevails and we've won the presidency and both houses, we need to reverse this and hold some of the dirtbags responsible for their crimes.

[sheshe2]

21. yes.

[Jamaal510]

23. K&R

[ck4829]

25. K&R