Officials Defend Plan To Close Almost All Polling Places In Majority Black Georgia County

[babylonsister]

POLITICS 08/17/2018 03:51 pm ET Updated 12 minutes ago
Officials Defend Plan To Close Almost All Polling Places In Majority Black Georgia County
Local officials say they need to close seven polling places because they aren’t accessible to people with disabilities. The ACLU says that doesn’t make sense.
By Sam Levine


The ACLU sent a letter to a southwest Georgia county election board warning that its proposed closure of seven polling places was discriminatory against black voters.

Election officials in a rural southwest Georgia county are defending a plan to suddenly close seven of the county’s nine polling places against allegations of racial discrimination, saying the ones it wants to close are not sufficiently accessible to people with disabilities.

Randolph County, the site of the proposed changes, is more than 60 percent black, with a little over 30 percent of residents in poverty ― more than double the national level. The Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the election board earlier this week warning of a lawsuit because the proposed closures discriminated against black voters. Those voters, the group said, were less likely to own a car and would be required to walk over three hours to one of the two remaining polling locations because there is no public transportation to get them there. The ACLU also noted the voter makeup of one of the polling places officials wanted to close was 96.7 percent black.

During a public meeting to discuss the changes Thursday evening, Mike Malone, a consultant hired by the county, said the seven polling places did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Officials said they don’t have time to fix them, so they would close them instead, WALB reported.

Sean Young, the ACLU of Georgia’s legal director, attended the meeting Thursday night and dismissed the suggestion that a lack of ADA compliance meant the polling places had to close. Randolph County residents who attended were also skeptical of the excuse, according to local reports.

“If a government building is not ADA compliant, the solution is to make them ADA compliant. If you cut your hand, you don’t chop off your arm, you heal the wound,” he said. “They have had decades to fix these issues and have had elections in these polling places. The better question is why haven’t these issues been fixed? And why, instead of fixing them, are you shutting them down?”

more...

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/randolph-county-polling-places_us_5b77115ce4b0a5b1febb04fc?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

[Peacetrain]

1. Dear Lord.. what next??

what in the world..

[leftieNanner]

2. Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito, and Kennedy

This is ALL on you!

We don't need that silly Voting Rights Act any more. There is no more racism, especially in the south!

[ProudLib72]

3. So there are no other buildings nearby that would work?

It's those buildings or none at all? Sounds like that was the scheme all along: choose unsuitable buildings and then wait until the last minute to close them. This reeks of the fish yards.

[LiberalFighter]

22. There should be buildings nearby that are ADA compliant.

If there aren't then why not?

Especially government buildings such as schools. Community halls.

[ProudLib72]

29. Exactly. Down the block. Two blocks over.

Somewhere there must be an ADA compliant building. It's a really flimsy excuse that doesn't hold water, and I hope they are exposed as the cheaters they are.

[Eliot Rosewater]

4. Using ADA as an excuse, something cons dont care about AT ALL makes me really fucking angry

[brush]

5. Just blatant, open disenfranchisement of African Americans. The repug fascism is in full effect.

Cheating is the only way repugs win elections, and they do it on so many fronts—closing polling places, cutting early voting days, ID requirements, caging, InterState Crosscheck vote purging.

They are openly stopping black people from voting and letting us know.

[OilemFirchen]

6. Many polling places are churches and/or church-owned schools and other facilities.

All of which are exempt from ADA standards and enforcement.

Dollars to doughnuts most, if not all, of these polling locations are places of worship.

[Roland99]

7. The ADA was passed HOW long ago? And they only want to close these NOW???

[Haggis for Breakfast]

20. The Americans With Disabilities Act

was passed in 1990. Right there in the Rose Garden of the White House with one of its biggest sponsors, Mr. Justin Dart, sitting (in his wheelchair) next to President George H. W. Bush as he signed it.

At the age of 18, he contracted polio (as did his brother). Justin Dart was a lifelong supporter and fierce advocate for people with disabilities. Born to a wealthy family (his grandfather founded Walgreen's Drug Stores), he could have enjoyed his privilege and his life. But he chose the life of an activist in support for people with disabilities to ensure that they could enjoy unfettered access to accommodation.

In 1995, he founded the American Association for People with Disabilities (AAPD). He was awarded the Presidential Medal of freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1998. He passed away in 2002 due to congestive heart failure (a complication of his polio).

[msongs]

8. flat out kkk tactics and should be called for it. nt

[workinclasszero]

9. This is how the fascist GOP "wins" elections!

[malaise]

10. This is what should be on the news 24/7

They are criminals promoting a one party state

[colsohlibgal]

11. Blatant Tomfoolery

As Stalin once said the power lies not with the people who vote it lies with the people that count the vote....of course a new twist is trying to limit the vote.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. More rightful to have non-compliant places than non-existent places. . . . nt

[djacq]

13. Voter Suppression at it's finest

This calls for Dems in Georgia to get organize if they haven't already.

If Randolph County goes full stupid and close polling places, then make transportation available to voters.

[robbob]

14. How much do you want to bet

there will be roadblocks going in and out of the few remaining polling stations that are open to restrict any attempts to rectify the situation by bussing voters in?

[heaven05]

15. what racist voter

suppressing bullshit is this? Couldn't be more obvious.

[JHan]

16. the fuck

[jayschool2013]

17. Well, bless their hearts

I've been told that's Southern speak for "Fuck them."

[Haggis for Breakfast]

21. Well then, your education is complete.

[thesquanderer]

18. Dem party needs to organize to bus these voters to the polls. (n/t)

[heaven05]

19. restraining order?

possible?

[lapfog_1]

23. move the voting booths outdoors under a tent if needed.

[Hortensis]

24. First-ever notice was a notice in the paper's

legal section "last Wednesday," presumably last week rather than two days ago. The first public hearing was yesterday (Thursday), the second today, and final decision on the proposal will be announced on the 24th.

This is of course to keep the community ignorant as this form of voter suppression is put in place. Most people would not have the same voting place in the general as they had in the primary and would arrive at closed buildings on election day.

[ck4829]

25. Not even trying to hide it anymore...

[DoctorJoJo]

26. I'll Say It Once Again: Repukes Are Born Without the Embarrassment Gene!

[KPN]

27. Those fuckers. Is the local community rising up against this?

[NBachers]

28. What? This isn't your regular polling place? Well, you'll just have to fill out a provisional ballot

[mopinko]

30. i have been a judge. you can ask a judge to come out to your car.

you do need someone to go inside the polling place and ask for a judge to come out to your car. of course, this only works if you have paper ballots, but that's how it is done in illinois.

eta- of course, they made the electronic machines ridiculously bulky. there is zero fucking reason they have to be any bigger than an ipad. they wanted to make old lady poll workers quit because it was such a drag to haul those things around.

[Awsi Dooger]

31. This should be everywhere

Entire programs devoted to it

[Lee-Lee]

32. One thing I don't get here

The county is majority black. It votes Blue in all major elections from what I can see on past results.

Who the hell have they elected to run the county?