'Please, God, help us!': Frustrated voter protests chaos and dysfunction in Georgia primary debacle

[turbinetree]

Written by Alex Henderson June 9, 2020

Many Republicans have echoed President Donald Trump’s claims that mail-in voting is bad and that voting should almost always be done in person. But on Tuesday’s primary in Georgia, in-person voting did not go smoothly at all — and a video posted on Twitter shows an angry, frustrated voter in that state complaining about the problems she experienced at the polls.

According to Politico reporters Zach Montellaro and Laura Barrón-López, Georgia voters have been subjected to multiple problems — from voting machines that weren’t working to hours spent waiting in long lines.

In the video, the voter can be seen pounding on her car while declaring, “This is wrong! This is America! Please, God, help us!”

https://www.alternet.org/2020/06/please-god-help-us-frustrated-voter-protests-chaos-and-dysfunction-in-georgia-primary-debacle/

-snip-

According to Kristen Clarke, executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the problems that Georgia voters have been complaining about are not isolated incidents. Clarke told Politico, “We’ve received reports about long lines, polling sites that have opened late and broken machines. What’s disturbing is that these problems appear widespread and not isolated.”

Clarke added, “It has been most disturbing to hear about voters who have given up. Voters who were not able to withstand the long wait times, voters who had one shot this morning. Those are people who may be flatly disenfranchised.”

Nse Ufot, executive director of New Georgia Project, described problems at the polls in Fulton County, Georgia and told Politico, “It’s a hot, flaming, fucking mess.”

[Hoyt]

1. Vote by mail or early in November, avoid this stuff.

[CottonBear]

2. I just dropped my absentee ballot into the secure box at the Board of Elections downtown.

There are four ballot drop boxes around the county plus we had good early voting turnout. Athens- Clarke County has a really great BoE staff and experienced poll workers.

Everyone should help others to request absentee ballots so that most people can vote by mail or dropping off the ballot in November. Avoid the voting machines completely.

[MustLoveBeagles]

3. Illinois doesn't have those machines, thank god

We have the fill in the oval and drop it in the secure box method. I've had no problems with in person voting in the past but times are different now. I'm not risking my health to vote if I don't have to.

[Blue_true]

6. I keep pushing early voting.

My red county is currently allowing voters to request a vote by mail ballot. I voted by mail in a special election. But in November, I am going to put on my mask, put on gloves and go in early to vote in person -why? - because once I have that ballot in my hands, my signature on the vote cannot be challenged. Plus, the ballot is a paper ballot that is optically scanned, so it can be counted by hand if needed.

[Hoyt]

10. Georgia has that too. It's either 4 weeks or 30 days.

[intheflow]

4. "It's a hot, flaming, fucking mess."

And that is absolutely by design.

[Blue_true]

8. When people wait until the last day, ratfuckers are going to ratfuck.

The one good thing about this election that I heard, two US Senate seats and ALL of the Georgia Legistlature is on the ballot. This is a time for people to vote and make a difference.

[Blue_true]

5. If people can't vote by mail, always vote early if possible.

When one waits until the last day, ratfuckers will ratfuck.

[Hortensis]

7. This. Absolutely. And check a few times between elections

to make sure you're still registered. A few years ago I was tossed off the rolls. We own and occupy our primary address in Georgia, and have voted there for years, but the excuse was giving the USPS a forwarding address while we were in Florida.

Until now, if you requested an absentee ballot, you could still vote in person instead by signing an affidavit at the polling place. That provided a safety backup in case the ballot didn't arrive, and in past many would call the local Democratic office because their mail-in ballot hadn't arrived and be happy to learn they'd still be able to vote.

[Blue_true]

11. I always check my registration status the beginning of the last week to register.

I live in a red county, but it is easy to register. I have seen people do it at the vehicle registry offices and at county libraries.

People can go to the County Voter Registration site to see what documents they need.

[Hortensis]

12. Yes, super easy to check on line. For 30 years in California,

I never had to worry about any of this and never did.

[Cha]

9. KR!

[Duppers]

13. K & R