Stacey Abrams is trying to overcome unbelievable obstacles and become the first African-American woman elected governor in the history of our country. Every day has brought new, clearly undemocratic hurdles. The most obvious of those Jim Crow-style hurdles is her opponent’s insistence on controlling the board of elections as Georgia secretary of state—a clear conflict of fascistic interest. Former President Jimmy Carter is a national hero and a Georgia resident. Like any citizen worth their weight, he is concerned about Brian Kemp’s unwillingness to recuse himself from responsibilities regarding the elections board. Kemp has has already overseen the holding in abeyance of over 53,000 voter registrations—suspiciously, most of which are for people of color.
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Amongst other things, Carter cites the very real possibility that the voting machines in Georgia can be, and already may have been, compromised. Carter sent a letter to Kemp saying as much. The Associated Press got its hands on the letter, dated this past Monday, October 22, on Carter’s official letterhead.
To Secretary of State Brian Kemp:
I have officially observed scores of doubtful elections in many countries, and one of the key requirements for a fair and trusted process is that there be nonbiased supervision of the electoral process.
In Georgia’s upcoming gubernatorial election, popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past and the serious questions that the federal courts have raised about the security of Georgia’s voting machines, but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate. This runs counter to the most fundamental principle of democratic elections — that the electoral process be managed by an independent and impartial election authority. Other secretaries of state have stepped down while running for election within their jurisdiction, to ensure that officials without a direct stake in the process can take charge and eliminate concerns about a conflict of interest.
In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close, I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor’s election. This would not address every concern, but it would be a sign that you recognize the importance of this key democratic principle and want to ensure the confidence of our citizens in the outcome.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Carter
President Jimmy Carter is a very eloquent and kind man.
Chip in a dollar or two to help Stacey Abrams rid Georgia of this corruption.
