In a county where black residents make up 61 percent of the population, it has been proposed that seven out of nine voting locations be shut down just a few short months before midterm elections, Newsweek reports.
Georgia’s Randolph County Board of Elections informed citizens that the reason behind the possible termination of voting places lies in the fact that the county was unable to make the locations wheelchair accessible in time for the midterms. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all public buildings be wheelchair accessible and, without this, the voting locations are viewed as being out of compliance with the act therefore unable to serve as polling places.
Yet, a HuffPost report noted that there are no such known written policies in the region.
Though two locations will remain open, transportation is not easily accessible to many black citizens because according to a letter written by Georgia’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 22.3 percent of residents in Randolph County do not own a vehicle. The poverty rate amongst black people from the county sits at 30.5 percent, which is almost twice the rate faced by the state as a whole, whose poverty rate is 16 percent. This rate, along with the fact that 40 percent of residents have a median income that is much lower than the rest of the state, makes the possibility of reaching far polling places disparagingly low.
“These polling place closures will virtually guarantee lower voter turnout in a Black Belt county that is predominantly African-American, and will completely prevent rural voters without transportation (again, disproportionately African-American) from voting in-person on Election day,” the ACLU wrote to the Randolph County Board of Elections and Registration.
The letter continues to question the morality behind the Board of Elections and Registration’s decision to close polling places, citing that the locations flagged for closing were used earlier this year during primary voting without a hiccup, and now, during an important midterm election, the board is finding issue. Considering the ballot holds the name of gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, who could become the country's first black female governor if elected. Abrams' candidacy makes the closures of the polling locations all the more suspicious.
In response, Abram’s running opponent, Rep. Secretary of State Brian Kemp, urged against the closings.
“As soon as we learned about this proposal, we immediately contacted Randolph County to gather more information,” Kemp told Newsweek through a spokesperson. “Although state law gives localities broad authority in settling percent boundaries and polling locations, we strongly urged local officials to abandon this effort and focus on preparing for a secure, accessible, and fair election for voters this November.”
According to the Washington Post, voting on the proposal to eliminate 7 voting stations will take place on Aug. 24. Voting rights activists are circulating a petition to ban the proposal.
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