Stacey Abrams Campaign Calls On Brian Kemp To Resign As Georgia's Election Chief
Stacey Abrams Campaign Calls On Brian Kemp To Resign As Georgia's Election Chief
The campaign of Stacey Abrams , the Democratic candidate in Georgia’s gubernatorial race, reportedly urged her opponent, Brian Kemp, to resign as Georgia secretary of state on Thursday following a report that his office had frozen more than 53,000 voter registrations , many of them belonging to African-Americans.
“As he has done for years, Brian Kemp is maliciously wielding the power of his office to suppress the vote for political gain and silence the voices of thousands of eligible voters ― the majority of them people of color,” Abrams spokeswoman Abigail Collazo told CNN in a statement, adding that Kemp should step down “so that Georgia voters can have confidence that their Secretary of State competently and impartially oversee this election.”
A spokesperson for Abrams did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. While Abrams herself has not issued a statement, she tweeted Wednesday that “Kemp has called us out. Let’s vote & let’s get it done!”
Kemp, who has served as Georgia secretary of state since 2010, ignored a request from Georgia activist groups to resign earlier this year.
The Associated Press on Wednesday first reported that tens of thousands of voter registrations had been put on hold because they failed a controversial state policy that requires an “exact match” between identification documents and registration forms. A small error, including typos or a missing hyphen, can result in an application freeze, and the registrants are added to a “suspense list.”
While Georgia’s population is 32 percent black, 70 percent of the holds had been placed on black voters’ registrations, the AP said.
According to Kemp, the 53,000 people whose voter registrations have been frozen will still be able to vote in November’s midterm elections. He says affected individuals with an acceptable form of ID can address whatever issues there are with their registrations at election sites next month, or else, they can cast provisional ballots.
Georgia’s deadline to register to vote was on Tuesday.
“The fact is that it has never been easier to register to vote and get engaged in the electoral process in Georgia, and we are incredibly proud to report this new record,” Kemp said in a statement to CNN.
Kemp, who is running as the Republican nominee for governor, oversees the state’s voter rolls and has systematically canceled more than 1.4 million registrations since 2012, according to the AP, including more than 670,000 last year.
Kemp has vehemently denied purging the voter rolls of people of color, saying the state’s policy amounts to routine roll maintenance. He also accused Abrams of manufacturing “outrage off a ‘problem’ she created.”
“She uses fear to fundraise and liberal billionaires continue to bankroll her corrupt enterprise,” he tweeted, calling his opponent “incredibly dishonest.”
Abrams is the first African-American women to be nominated by a major political party to run for state governor. Polls show the two candidates in a fiercely competitive race to replace Republican Nathan Deal.
- This article originally appeared on HuffPost .
Lying bastard Kemp. Knows he can't win without dirty tricks.
This is the same confederate asswipe that deleted the voter results from the last election.
I haven't heard about that. Do you have a link? And what election? The runoff in July or our last Gubernatorial election? I'm seriously not being dull, I'm being genuine in my question.
Look it up for yourself. We wouldn't be dealing with most of this racist bullshit now if every traitor to the USA had been executed 153 years ago.
Wow, I was truly trying to have an intelligent conversation on this thread without being an asshole, I asked you a question because I haven't heard about it and you had to go full on jerk mode. I've never been a jerk to you.... Geez
Hey, make sure you flag this..... , I'm sure I was skirting or something
I didn't flag you Jenn.
Suggesting you look it up for yourself is full on jerk mode? You don't know how? Try these key words, Brian Kemp, 2016 election, associated press story, election data wiped. Do all Ga. peaches bruise so easy?
Probably thought she was on a wingnut seed.
I didn't say you did. I was telling you to go ahead and do it, since I called you a jerk. (I'm sorry by the way)
I did go look it up, I'm not stupid, I was trying to contribute to the convo since I live here. I was asking about a link specific to what you said. Usually people around here post links to their claims. I'm not trying to be an ass to you, but apparently you have a chip on your shoulder and there was really no need for the animosity toward me for asking a question. I really wanted to learn more about what you had claimed.....
Called me a jerk or devangelical? I'm confused.
I typically don't flag anyone unless they seem to be deliberately trolling or deliberately going off topic. We seem to get along okay when it's not such a hot topic.
Let's just move along now.
I know.... I was being sarcastic since I called D a jerk. I thought we were having a decent convo
I didn't call you a jerk, I told D he went into jerk mode because I asked for a link. I'm sorry
It's okay. I'm sure devangelical is over it at this point and me too.
I didn't mean for it to get confusing. Sorry.
Over it? I never even taxied to the runway. Still don't know how telling someone to look it up themselves is going into jerk mode, unless the rest of the comment was unsettling to some southern sensibilities. Not my job to research a candidate I'd never be able to vote against.
That Kemp fucktard purged voters from the rolls, shut down and then manipulated certain polling stations to be crowded, certified the election, denied the DHS offer to investigate any outside election fraud, and then wiped the voting data from state computers. Nothing to see there I guess.
Didn't mean to speak for you.
Plus I don't have a dog in this fight either.
If I were Jenn I sure wouldn't vote for this lying scum.
Maybe her daughter will vote for Abrams and cancel out her mom's vote.
Is there some kind of computer trail that could be followed and bring him up on charges?
No problem. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the FEC or DOJ to act in this current administration.
It's true.
“She uses fear to fundraise and liberal billionaires continue to bankroll her corrupt enterprise,” he tweeted, calling his opponent “incredibly dishonest.”
You're the one who is incredibly dishonest Kemp, you prick.
Meh, I'm still undecided at this point. I know Ga has some strict voting. My license was expired by a few days in the last election we had (the runoff) and they wouldn't let me use it. I had my college ID and even then they had to consult with a few other people before allowing me to vote. I know there was an issue with a few polling places closing in one county because the county couldn't afford to keep them open (the county is bankrupt). I'm glad the citizens are still able to vote. Honestly, I think Kemp should have resigned from his SoS position if he was going to run for Governor, it really seems like a conflict of interest at this point. Ms. Abrams has her issues as well, neither one is pure and it puts me and many other Georgians at an 11th hour vote..... I prolly won't know who I'm voting for until I get to my poling place.
On another note, my daughter just turned 18 and just registered to vote 2 days ago! She's a huge feminist liberal and she is voting for Abrams. Shes in the camp of "voting for her because shes a woman", It aggravates me because she won't even research the candidates. Shes young and gets her "news" from IG memes LOL. Honestly, IDC who she votes for, she's her own person and I'm proud of her regardless.
What issues does Ms. Abrams have? I'm truly curious.
A lot of it is just money, I can look up the issues, but like I said before, Mr. Kemp has issues too. They are politicians, so neither one is pure. She's a nice lady, and he's a nice guy, I've met them both in passing by attending various festivals in the Atlanta area.
and to be fair, I'm posting Kemps too.
I did a search, the same search on both candidates. This link on him is literally the only thing that bing came up with.
I also don't like that she has snoozied up with Kaseem Reed. He was as crooked as they come, mind you, I'm about 25 minutes outside of Atlanta, but he was and still is a hot topic
Hey, neither one is innocent. I'm sure he has some shit on him as well, but I'm unable to find it right now, the only thing I can find is the 53k people who are still able to vote but they need to correct the voter registration or whatever. I really need to go look at AJC.com (our local paper), but they want to charge me to read online after one article.... grrrrrr I guess I better make it count LOL
What dirty and funny money?
Of course the other candidate is going to smear Ms. Abrams. I see it all the time here in Maryland. I see attack ads about Ben Jealous all the time by Larry Hogan. I'm still voting democrat though - Mr. Hogan is on board with Betsy DeVos and that shit don't cut it with me. Not that I'd vote for any Independent or Republican here anyway.
Thanks for the links Dulay!!!!
I saw Kemp's ad on the Daily Show - cocking a shot gun and said no one was going to take his guns away from him. Another batshit crazy Donald Rump supporter.
Dulay, thank you, especially for the AJC link. They only let me read one before they are asking for money. It sucks. I use to read it daily with my coffee before I started my workday. The NY times is an opinion piece, but the other two, thank you for. I'm not taking up for Kemp, but I'm sure there is plenty out there about Ms. Abrams as well, quite honestly, both suck and I have no idea who I'm going to vote for yet. I really wish there were politicians who could just be clean and honest...... LOL, I made a funny
LOL, the one pointed at his daughters boyfriend? That was over the top, I agree..... I told my husband that ad was crazy. If it's the same one, it's not running anymore, it's old. He ran that back in March for the primarys
So when it comes from left wing sources its "dirty" and "funny" money, but when it's right wing donors it's all clean and serious money, right?
From reading the supposed "10 unethical things" Abrams has supposedly done the worst is some of her campaign staff tweeting about her book or not having a fully itemized with receipts accounting for $84,000 of campaign funds which means they may or may not be campaign related, but zero evidence they aren't campaign related.
Thank you DP for going through that link. I hadn't done that yet. Doesn't seem so dastardly compared to what the republicans get away with, down and dirty, filthy tricks.
I don't recall - it was so quick. He seems like a whackjob.
By the very nature of our current campaign finance laws and the citizens united ruling big donor loyalty and campaign finance shenanigans are incentivized. You almost have to be a total crook these days, regardless of party affiliation, to get to that level of politics. The sheer amount of asses that must be kissed to get the amount of money from small individual donors necessary to run a winning campaign is almost impossible when faced with the small handful of corporate asses you need to kiss for an even larger amount of campaign funds to run with. It just doesn't make political sense to appeal to your constituents when you can just blast the airwaves with negative campaign ads about your opponent when you have an expensive well crafted corporate backed campaign strategy, the citizens be damned.
I would vote for a person based on their merit alone if we had anyone.....Unfortunately they are all crooks and it sucks. If we go 3rd party because we cant justify a mainstream vote, then we are ultimately voting for the "other guy/gal" Its literally a no win situation
Oh! I meant to also say that clean and honest doesn't get votes, they have to smear their competitor. I look at that before voting, if your putting out asshole ads, meh....I' not a fan, If you are falsely accusing another candidate, I am smart enough to check. I want someone who is putting out ads to WHY I should vote for them, not attack the other person they are running against. But thats just me
Well you're the exception then because without the huge number of people who bought into the false accusations against Hillary in the 2016 campaign it would have been a very different election result. What's even crazier is that many still can't shake their initial impressions of her based on the mountain of lies told about her. If she'd done even one tenth of the things she had been accused of she would be serving consecutive life sentences. So apparently some aren't smart enough to check, or they're really wanting to believe the lies they're told so they don't bother checking, the details all fit with their prejudiced beliefs about liberals, women and "Clinton's".
Not closed but wide open to all the filthy tricks of the gop and Donald Rump and I refuse to vote for someone who is not a Democrat.
Some 'independent ' representatives I believe hide behind that affiliation to support the gop and Republicans like Larry Hogan here in Maryland
You're talking to me about compromising in politics? GTFOOH with that bullshit.
What stories about Hillary were true? Be sure and tie your shoes before you make the run.
Kemp can't step down or resign. He's a big GOPER with the Stars and Bars tattooed on his arse.
A black woman running against a white supremacist that certifies the state election. What could go wrong?
When Ms. Abrams was going door to door to speak to her constituents and ask them to vote someone called the police because a black person was knocking.
How many times per day did this happen, on average?
The Antebellum dynasty is dying a slow death. It will not go easily and it will inflict suffering on as many as it can until it is finally expired.
Kemp is not alone but their numbers are dwindling.
Just received a voter validation letter last week that had someones name registered to my address that I know for a fact hasn't lived at this address since prior to 2003 because I know the last tenants name, and I moved in in 2004 and bought the house in 2005. Maybe updating the Voter Rolls isn't such a bad thing after all...
How do we know that's true? Just because you said so?
Yes But on the other hand, if you don't believe me, just send me your email address and I'll send a link to prove I bought the property in 2005. I'd do it here but then some dumbass might want to get their panties in a bunch over something I've said and make the mistake of showing up on my doorstep. I can just hear the prosecutor now claiming I deliberately baited them...just for the target practice!
That's how it's done in states with vote by mail elections. The last residents obviously didn't update their voter registrations. The issue is purposely selecting specific demographics for purging voters and the closing or manipulation of access to polling places to increase waiting times to vote. For those that insist on voter ID laws, access to any specialized ID's should be made available free at polling places up to and on the day of election at the expense of the state. Free and fair elections are the cornerstone to our government and people and organizations that inhibit the process should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I personally think that any voter oppression violations by any elected official should be prosecuted and subjected to the death penalty for treason as an example to others. But that's just me, since I believe that defeated confederate white supremacists belong better under America other than on top of it.
Awesome! Considering they are all dead, I would say you got your wish. Of course the Yankee invaders are dead too...you know the ones that STILL owned slaves AFTER the Civil War ended?
BTW, have you kept up with the developments in the Kemp " voter suppression " accusations??? Turns out that he was actually following FEDERAL Law on when and how to purge voter rolls. Oh and just in case you missed it, it takes 7 years of inactive voting to be stricken from the rolls, and even then you are put on a provisional voter list so all you have to do is show up and VOTE! You know. the same thing you had to do to STAY on the rolls in the first place...
As a side note, the majority of "minority voters" that made it on to the provisional rolls did so because of an Abrams voter registration drive where her team SCREWED uo their SSN. Funniest part about it??? Not a damn one of those supposed "new voters" has shown up at the polls--in all these years since she did it, LOL!!!!
But please; continue with the ill informed rant. I need the laugh!