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NOTE: The following appeared as an op-ed in the Marietta Daily Journal on June 24, 2020.
“Voter suppression” was again claimed in Georgia’s 2020 primary election amidst reports of fewer polling locations and faulty voting equipment leading to daunting lines and raising similar allegations as Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial election. While it is easy to try and point the finger at Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, those responsible for June 9’s voting issues may surprise you.
This finger-pointing occurs against the national meme that Georgians are incapable of holding fair elections. After the 2018 gubernatorial election, one of the most hotly contested elections in recent years, many Democratic leaders, including the former vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, claimed that voter suppression gave an improper victory to former Secretary of State and now Gov.
Brian Kemp. Stacey Abrams lost the election by 55,000 votes; no irregularities have been found. Yet the national media still insists that “voter suppression” was the basis.
The media trumpets fake “voter suppression” — it may indeed be an issue in Fulton and DeKalb and a few other counties. Those crying voter suppression in the 2018 election claimed that removing dormant or ineligible voters was voter suppression. But only inactive voter names were removed, such as voters who had moved out of state. But because of the lawsuits and settlements following the 2018 election, all of those ineligible names were ADDED back to the polls for 2020! An additional 1.47 million names were added back to the rolls, and, due to the coronavirus, requests for absentee ballots were sent to all.
Every vote by an ineligible voter reduces the value of the vote by every eligible voter who stands in line or takes the time to make sure his or her vote counts. What is more, it is mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, passed by the Democratic controlled Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. The 1993 legislation more commonly called “Motor Voter,” requires that states keep voter lists up to date by removing inactive voters from voter lists.
Click here to continue reading on MDJOnline.com.
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