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Voter Suppression

The polls continue to show that the governor’s race between Jason Carter and Nathan Deal is locked in a dead heat and the U.S. Senate race between Michelle Nunn and David Perdue is neck-and-neck.

Conservatives are seeing the news too, and now they will stop at nothing to suppressvoter rights in Georgia.

Why?

Conservatives know that if registered voters represent the true diversity of Georgia, they will lose.

Last week, State Senator Fran Millar attacked Sunday voting at a DeKalb County mall which the senator describes as “dominated by African Americans.”

Then Millar doubled down, saying that he would “prefer more educated voters than a greater increase in the number of voters.”

How exactly does Millar define an “educated voter?”

Rather than stand up for voting rights, Gov. Deal defended Millar’s comments, claiming that he is no fan of Sunday voting. He hopes the legislature will address the issue ofSunday voting next year.

Why won’t Gov. Deal defend voting rights for hundreds of thousands of Georgians?

It’s simple: he doesn’t want them to vote.

Just days after Millar’s shameful comments, Secretary of State Brian Kemp filed complaints against The New Georgia Project — one of the largest nonprofit voterregistration efforts in the state. While the organization, which has already registered tens of thousands of voters, has dismissed Kemp’s attacks as “unnecessary, overly broad, unduly burdensome and harassing,” the broad nature of the investigation could tie up voter registration efforts through the election.

Kemp’s office heard about the allegations months ago, but only decided to investigate the matter now, when conservatives are on the ropes.

The ethics commission held hearing on Sept. 18, but in true kangaroo court fashion, members of the New Georgia Project were not even invited to attend. 

When it was revealead that Sec. Kemp had issued broad subpoeans in the case because his office had issues with 25 out of 85,000 voter registration forms (.029%), it became clear that Kemp’s efforts are nothing more than a partisan witch hunt. 

Now, instead of doing his job and processing the tens of thousands of complete, accurate voter registration forms sitting in his office, Kemp is blocking eligible voters from getting registered.

This is voter suppression, plain and simple.

Another hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5, just one day before the voter registration deadline. The timing of this alone should cause us all to raise our eyebrows and question the motives behind Kemp’s allegations.

But if that’s not enough, Kemp was caught on tape telling fellow conservatives that if too many minorities register to vote, Republicans will lose in November.

As outrageous as it is, conservatives have made it clear that they don’t want the voting electorate to represent the diversity of Georgia.

Fortunately, we’re not the only ones outraged by the backward beliefs of Georgia’s conservative leaders. Soon after Millar disparaged early voting and Kemp attacked voter registration efforts, national press outlets focused their attention on Georgia.

Washington Post: Georgia state senator upset over efforts to increase voterturnout in black, Democratic area

MSNBC: GOPer opposes early voting because it will boost black turnout

Huffington Post: GOP Legislator Says He’d ‘Prefer More Educated Voters’ Over Black Early Voters

Salon.com: It’s disgusting, and it’s still about race: Southern Republicans simply don’t want minorities to vote

Gawker.com: Georgia Lawmaker Vows to End Early Voting Because Blacks Vote That Way

MSNBC: Georgia GOP official express concerns about ‘minority voters’

Talking Points Memo: Top GA Election Official Warns Dems Are Registering ‘All These Minority Voters’

Salon.com: Panicked Georgia Republicans look for an edge: Suppressing black votes

AJC: Ga. GOP sees voter participation as a threat, and acts accordingly

And Civil Rights leaders like Georgia Congressman John Lewis have stepped up todenounce conservatives’ voter suppression efforts in Georgia:

      “It should not matter whether you are black or white, Latino, Asian or Native American. The size of your wallet or the digits in your zip code should not matter. We all have an equal right to participate in the democratic process. The vote is precious, almost sacred, and what these officials are suggesting should be enough reason to make sure each and every one of us goes to the polls on election day. We must not let a few silence the voices of many taxpayers and citizens of this state.We should be making it simple and easier to vote in Georgia, not more difficult.”                          

If conservatives are bent on returning Georgia to Jim Crow-era policies, then it’s up to us to push our state forward. We cannot let fear, intimidation and blatant attacks onvoting rights stop us from voting.

The voter registration deadline is Oct. 6 and it’s important for us make sure all of us who are eligible are registered to vote. The best way to end the regressive policies of conservatives is to vote.

Don’t let them win. Register to vote online right now: Click to register. 

If you are already a registered voter, share this link with your friends and family to make sure they are registered: Click to share.

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