Majority-Black Georgia County Blocks Proposal To Shutter Most Of Its Polling Sites

PHOENIX - NOVEMBER 4:  People arrive to vote at the Albright United Methodist Church November 4, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. Today millions of Americans will cast their vote for President of the United States.  (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
PHOENIX - NOVEMBER 4: People arrive to vote at the Albright United Methodist Church November 4, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. Voting is underway in the U.S. presidential elections with Democratic presidential nominee Se... PHOENIX - NOVEMBER 4: People arrive to vote at the Albright United Methodist Church November 4, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. Voting is underway in the U.S. presidential elections with Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) leading in the polls against the Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

A Georgia county’s board of elections on Friday voted down a proposal to shutter seven of its nine polling sites over concerns that doing so would disenfranchise the area’s majority-black population.

Local station WALB reported that this decision was made seconds into a Friday morning meeting.

The proposal was originally made by independent elections consultant Michael Malone, who was hired to help the rural county save costs. It drew national criticism given the likely challenges it would impose on the county’s mostly black voters, who would need to travel long distances to get to the polls on Election Day. Several civil rights groups threatened to sue if the changes were approved.

The county was unable to produce documents supporting its claims that the polling sites were inaccessible to disabled people, and Malone was fired Thursday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In a statement, the board said that the proposal was only under consideration because of a “decline in population and consequently, a decline in the county tax base.”

Calling the right to vote “sacred,” the board said it decided not to close the polling sites thanks to the public outcry over the recommendation.

“The interest and concern shown has been overwhelming, and it is an encouraging reminder that protecting the right to vote remains a fundamental American principle,” the statement read.

Latest News

Notable Replies

  1. A Georgia county’s board of elections on Friday voted down a proposal to shutter seven of its nine polling sites over concerns that doing so would disenfranchise the area’s majority-black population.
    And that people might perceive us as the racist slime we are because we didn’t dog whistle it

    Thank goodness for the press exposure
    Sunshine is a good disinfectant

  2. Glad to see this. I am tired of being shocked by outright voter suppression. This has to end in November.

  3. Avatar for jtx jtx says:

    They knew they would lose in court.

  4. Unfortunately, with Brett Kavanaugh, it will not end and states will end up spending resources that they don’t have going to court, which is what the right counts on.

    Sort of OT, but something that occurred to me: Michael Cohen doesn’t want a pardon with the “taint” of Trump. But Kavanaugh is just fine with that taint.

  5. Methinks that consultant was a plant.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

10 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for paulw Avatar for sysprog Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for yskov Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for sanni Avatar for dickweed Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for jtx Avatar for coimmigrant Avatar for maximus Avatar for frantastic Avatar for carolson

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: