Name:   architect - Subject:   This screed puts your elitist and paternalistic Date:   4/8/2021 1:01:36 PM (updated 4/8/2021 1:45:22 PM)

tendancies on full display!

You claim the GA election bill was a “bipartisan compromise” and that Stacy Abrams spoke positively of aspects of the bill.  Name one single Democratic representative or senator that voted in favor of this “bi-partisan compromise”, guide me to a single source where Stacy Abrams states she in any way supports this “compromise” or considers it in any way “bi-partisan”!  CRD, when you start the argument with a distortion (lie?) you are not on solid ground!

The bill allows but does not require Sunday voting so actually no change there.  The change is it allows early voting places to be open only from 9 to 5 as opposed to the 7 to 7 hours now in effect in most areas.  Where does the guy working 9 to 5 for a GOP boss who refuses to give him time off to vote go? Suppression, indirect but suppression just the same.

The overturned signature requirements for obtaining an absentee ballot were put in place by the GOP Gen Assembly in 2006 at the same time the photo ID for in person voting was established.  At the time the GOP leadership trumpeted “see, you can still vote even if you don’t have a photo ID.”  Well kiss that promise goodbye.  Sure I know what you are thinking...still no photo required if you have a driver license number, lease agreement, mortgage etc.  Well 3% of the citizens don’t have any of those things.  What do they do? I’m sure you will agree that the number of black and brown and elderly people without such is much higher than 3%.  Should they even be allowed to vote in the first place.  Are you one of those who advocate for “better” voters rather than more voters?  Supression anyway you slice it.

Even if you do have such an ID but are an 88 year old disabled woman living in a rural county of 4000 where the only public copy machines are in the courthouse, or school or sheriff’s office 20 miles away in the county seat what do you do.  No problem for you or me but what about those that do have such difficulties.  Suppression not to mention elitism on full display!

So handing out water is ok more than 150’ from the polling place and as long as you are more than 25’ from the voter.  How the hell do you hand a bottle of water from 25 ‘ away? 150’ from the polling place has been interpreted as from the property line of the lot upon which the polling place is housed...in the case of the precinct at my old high school that’s a quarter mile, at my church that means being at at least 500’ from the door to the precinct and standing in a busy street.  Maybe this one is just silly rather than supression.

l have no problem with absentee ballots being opened and processed before the polls close but not counted until after the closing.  Why would anybody...after all it simple codifies the emergency rules put in place due to the pandemic.  I do have a problem with the time during which an absentee ballot be ordered being cut from 180 to 75 days before the election and the requirement that all requests, even in person requests, are cut off 11 days before the election.  Why? A little more supression methinks!

Secure drop boxes sounds sooooo reasonable until you realize that secure means being inside an early voting place accessible only during open hours (there’s that 9 to 5 thingy again) and a max of 1 per 100,000 population which cuts the drop box locations in Fulton from 48 to 10.  The real question is why you don’t have a problem with it?  I am thankful the lawmakers didn’t make it illegal to use those old insecure US post office drop boxes that are all over the place and open 24/7.  Making it inconvenient is supression...period!

Private funds contributed to help offset the election costs will now go to the state to be “openly and equitably” dispersed throughout the state.  Yeah sure, and pigs may fly.  Are you actually gullible enough think the Red GA legislature is going to treat Fulton, Dekalb, Cobb and Gwinnett on the same terms as Floyd, Banks, Cherokee or Forsyth’s? If so let’s talk some more about my Gulf-front lot is Kansas.  For that matter does Talliaferro County with 800 voters really need the same kind of 3rd party help Fulton with 650,000 voters does? Really?

I do have a big problem with inept and corrupt election officials.  I have an equally big problem with inept and corrupt legislators defining what are the “inept and corrupt” qualities that bring on the need for change. I’m sure you can find many Republicans that would define an election board’s certification of a result not to their liking plenty of evidence to declare a board “inept and corrupt”!

I would suggest that ANY organization or business that has a problem with this bill and feels it does surpress voter participation to let their objection be known.  It’s called FREEDOM OF SPEECH on the one hand and FREE MARKET ECONOMICS on the other!  Be assured Delta and Coke and Dell know which way the popular winds blow and put more faith in being on the side of the people than the politicians!

Thus endith the lesson!