When a community leader helps her neighbors vote, she shouldn’t get slapped with felony charges. But that’s precisely what Olivia Pearson, a long-serving City Commissioner in Douglas, is facing.
Pearson has a long history of helping people overcome the mundane barriers to voting, like calling friends and family to make sure they are registered and providing rides to the polls. She’s also a black woman in a small south Georgia town that once made its wealth from tobacco farming, and her work and leadership clearly strike a chord with white residents and power-brokers.
Over a year ago, Pearson, along with several other residents, were brought to court over felony charges related to “illegal voter assistance.” To be clear: no one is charged with trying to improperly influence a vote (besides, if you’re a super PAC with lots of money that’s perfectly legal thanks to the Citizens United case). The crux of the charges against Pearson boil down to one day back in 2012 when she helped a first-time voter navigate the voting machines.
The other residents took plea deals — perhaps more a sign that they simply did not want to be engaged in a protracted legal battle than any admission of wrongdoing — but Pearson has stayed in the fight.
Last month, Pearson finally saw a small victory: the court declared a mistrial, the majority-white jury simply couldn’t reach a decision. And, while Pearson earned a small reprieve — and some time to spend with grandkids — the assistant district attorney has vowed to try the case again as soon as possible.
“This is supposed to cause fear in those who would dare stand up for themselves,” said Pearson’s attorney Nefertara Clark, according to Buzzfeed, which has closely tracked the case.
And the story goes on to point out:
If Republicans could point to a criminal conviction, they could use it to vindicate their argument that voter fraud is a problem in the state. And for activists, it’s not just about Pearson, it’s about protecting hard-won rights.
A new trial date has not been set, but Pearson still has a long fight ahead to clear her name.
I am an eighty year old senior citizen. I am so sick and tired of voter suppression going on and on and on in this country. It has to stop!
Citizens could learn something from the Scientologists, about how to counter accusers. Politically motivated supressors should get a taste of their own medicine.
Republicans can only win when they cheat and cheat they do. Gerrymandering and voter suppression with fear and other shenanigans are their main tools. I was once a Republican but had to leave when I saw what the party stood for – lies, cheating and stealing elections.
We call it GOTV. Here in lowndes they’ve cut our polling places in half. Poor communities have to go further to vote. We have to get our Board of Elections heading in the right direction. They claim its all due to funding but somehow we had enough money for a polling place right on the college campus back and two others near by in 2008. When they saw the turn out and the result we suddenly had no money and the polling places were cut and located far enough away to deter voting. So, yeah, you call your friends and neighbors to help them get registered and get to the polls cuz its not easy.
I do not understand whey this is a case Did id miss something? Di she do something wrong in getting her friend and the community out to vote..What did i miss here???
I do not understand why this is a case. Did I miss something? Did she do something wrong by assisting her friends and community with getting out to vote..What did I miss here??? Have we not moved from the 1850’s????!!
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