On Wednesday, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp announced that his office had subpoenaed the records of a voter registration group in Georgia actively working to register new voters before the deadline for the November midterms.
On its face, it seemed as though perhaps there was reason but as new information surfaces it appears there is a plan afoot to disenfranchise and suppress minorities' votes in Georgia.
The audio above is a recording that Better Georgia claims is Brian Kemp speaking at a Republican event in Gwinnett County. Kemp expresses great concern that Democrats are registering minorities and that might cause them to win in November.
In closing I just wanted to tell you real quick, after we get through this runoff, you know the Democrats are working hard, and all these stories about them, you know, registering all these minority voters that are out there and others that are sitting on the sidelines, if they can do that, they can win these elections in November. But we’ve got to do the exact same thing. I would encourage all of you, if you have an Android or an Apple device, to download that app, and maybe your goal is to register one new Republican voter.
Yes, Democrats are working hard to register minority voters. So the Secretary of State is now acting to suppress those voters, and it isn't the first time:
The admissions by both Kemp and Senator Fran Millar that minority voters are almost certainly going to vote against the GOP in November contradicts the recent spin by the national party. Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus announced last year that his party would spend millions to reach out to minority groups. The RNC’s own autopsy reporton the party’s 2012 election defeats found that many minorities “think that Republicans do not like them or want them in the country,” (wrongly, the report argued). Latinos and African Americans voted overwhelmingly for Democrats in 2012, citing concerns about salary, wages, affordable healthcare, and immigration.
On Tuesday, Kemp launched a “voter fraud” investigation into a voter registration effort hesuspects may have “forged voter registration applications, forged signatures on releases, and applications with false or inaccurate information.” Accusations of voter fraud have been a frequent tool of Republican secretaries of state.
A year ago, Kemp warned that allowing citizens to register to vote on Election Day would undermine their “individual freedoms.” In 2012, he spearheaded an error-riddled effort to purge voters from the rolls just months before the November elections.
They really, really don't want Democrats to vote. And they're really worried about it, as they should be. Right now credible polls have Alison Lundergan Grimes pulling ahead of Mitch McConnell, and even the less credible pollsters like Rasmussen have Kay Hagan with a significant lead over Thom Tillis. Republicans are so desperate to win the Senate they're considering an attack on Al Franken, since their efforts in other states aren't working. Right now it looks like Kansas Senator Pat Roberts could lose his seat to an independent candidate, too.
Michelle Nunn lags behind David Perdue in the Georgia polls, but that could change, if Democrats come out to vote, minority or otherwise. Jason Carter, on the other hand, is in a close race with Nathan Deal -- close enough to win it.
But of course, winning it means that all voters, regardless of their race are allowed to vote. It looks like Republicans in Georgia are feeling very desperate and as though voter suppression tactics must be deployed in order to keep their lock on the South.
Disappoint them.
