Tyler Perry was forced to fly back to Georgia in order to vote in the pivotal runoff elections for both of the state's U.S. Senate seats.
Perry got some key voting guidance from Stacey Abrams on Twitter and eventually shared a video showing himself with the Georgia voting sticker on his chest.
It started on January 4, when Perry took to Twitter to question why his mail-in ballot had not been delivered to his home yet.
Hey Georgia,
Is anyone else having this problem? I ordered my absentee ballot on December 2nd. I’m told it was mailed on the 4th. I still don’t have it!
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) January 4, 2021
There were hundreds of people in the comments saying they were experiencing the same issues, complaining that their ballots were never mailed to them either.
Same problem here so I ended up doing just that and voted early in person while I was home for the holidays. Signed a form to cancel absentee ballot and also received update via SMS that it had been canceled.
— Erica Lampkin (@NotOfTheWorld87) January 5, 2021
Yes, unfortunately, this has been the case for many.
— Representative Dr. Jasmine Clark – HD 108 (@JasmineForHD108) January 4, 2021
I tried to warn everyone, I mailed my absentee request on 11/15,I logged in a few days later and it showed it accepted and ballot sent 11/20.So on 12/22 I started to feel
anxious.I went to a early voting site and voted in less than 10 minutes.I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT! pic.twitter.com/24mNlvxMuV— Proud Democrat In Deep Red (NOW BLUE) Georgia???? (@yvonnenthesouth) January 4, 2021
My husbnd& I ordered ours & my father’s (he asked me to for him)12/10
Never came (although alerted ‘mailed 12/14’) I just went 2vote in person last day of early voting since it hadnt
Now my father whos elderly, no Covid 19 vaccine yet, will have 2go in person tomorrow ????— JulieT (@JulTabThomps) January 5, 2021
Eventually, Abrams, who is being heralded for her pivotal work in helping to turn Georgia blue, responded to Perry.
Hey @tylerperry, we’ve got you. Requested a ballot but haven’t received it? Vote in person on Election Day! Just tell the person at the check-in table that you wish to cancel your ballot & vote in person. Go to https://t.co/lClnYYPro6 to find your assigned polling place. https://t.co/laQR8qgHlD
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) January 4, 2021
Perry said he gave up on hoping his mail-in ballot would arrive and decided to fly back to Georgia.
Hey @staceyabrams, I flew home because I didn’t get it. I will be there early in the morning. Too important to miss. Too important to miss!
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) January 4, 2021
The former Georgia gubernatorial candidate thanked him for the extra effort.
Thank you for always being in the fight!
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) January 5, 2021
The Madea producer then sent out a video after voting, confirming that he did indeed fly all the way home to vote.
"My absentee ballot never came so i just left voting in person. get out and vote, get out and vote, get out and vote," Perry said.
— Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) January 5, 2021
As Blavity previously reported, there has been significant, sustained criticism against the Trump administration for their decision to cut funding for the U.S. Postal Service right before an election season that would rely heavily on mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic.
President Donald Trump openly pushed his officials to disrupt the postal service specifically to make sure mail-in ballots came in late or never came in at all.
Ironically, after taking public, overt steps to disrupt the election, Trump is now complaining incessantly that the election disruptions that he asked for cost him his reelection.
