Amid the U.S. outbreak of the pandemic that's killed over 250 thousand Americans, both political parties geared up for an unprecedented number of absentee ballots from voters wary of risking infection by waiting in long lines to vote in the 2020 election.
President Donald Trump and the Republican party launched an all-out smear campaign against the 100+ year old institution of voting by mail.
These attacks only increased after Trump lost the election to President-elect Joe Biden. Trump and his legal team continue to put forth lies and conspiracy theories that widespread voter fraud orchestrated by Democrats tipped the election to Biden.
Despite Trump's protest, the presidential election is over, but two more crucial elections—both in the state of Georgia—will take place early next month.
Republican incumbent Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue will face off against Democratic Senate candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, respectively. If Democrats win both of these races, the Senate will be tied 50 to 50, and any votes resulting in a tie will be broken by Vice President Kamala Harris—presenting Democrats with a functional majority.
While some Republicans are urging Georgia voters not to cast their ballots for the Republican candidates, others active in the GOP are encouraging the very voter fraud they claim to be against.
Florida lawyer Bill Price is one such person—and now he's under investigation.
In a since-deleted Facebook Live video, Price urged a gathering of Florida Republicans to temporarily move to Georgia and vote in the Senate runoff elections, assuring them that he intends to do the same.
Watch below.
“If that means changing your address for the next two months,so be it.I'm doing that. I'm moving to Georgia."Our 6 investigation reveals deleted video-a FL attorney telling GOP members how to move to GA,vote in runoffs. It's illegal.There's more,& an investigation @wsbtv #gapol pic.twitter.com/or2PgWQrT1
— Nicole Carr (@NicoleCarrWSB) December 2, 2020
Price said:
"We absolutely have to hold the Senate and we have to start fighting back, and we have to do whatever it takes, and if that means changing your address for the next two months, so be it. I'm doing that. I'm moving to Georgia and I'm gonna fight and I want you all to fight with me."
Price said members of the group could register at his brother's Georgia address if they can't secure a permanent residence there in time for the registration deadline next week.
People called out the latest instance of Republican hypocrisy.
one way to prove voter fraud exists is by commiting it yourself https://t.co/qZ87UzfujA
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) December 3, 2020
Republicans constantly proving how hard it is to get away with individual voter fraud should be definitive proof that it's impossible to get away with nationwide systemic fraud… https://t.co/6xkKkjenKn
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) December 3, 2020
This is precisely what Trump's lawyers have accused Democrats of doing to defeat Trump. Only, they don't have the clear video proof below https://t.co/N0pcXezFkM
— Sam Stein (@samstein) December 3, 2020
At last, some systematic voter fraud https://t.co/PbLFRclIjp
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) December 3, 2020
They can't win elections without cheating.
They know if they lose the Senate they will never win again.
Let's make sure they never win again. https://t.co/V9avvP4kaM
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) December 3, 2020
A spokesman for the Georgia Secretary of State's office pointed out that it's a felony under Georgia law to move to the state for a brief period just to vote. Twitter users pointed this out as well.
Disbar him. What he claims he is doing and advising others to do is illegal. https://t.co/BtiEAqdlU1
— Philly's Just Elizabeth (@Eiggam5955) December 3, 2020
Dear Florida Attorney Bill Rice,
It's a felony to move to Georgia temporarily to vote in an election and then leave.
“Make no mistake about it, I will seek to prosecute those who try to undermine our elections to the fullest extent of the law.
— @GaSecofState
Cc: @TheFlaBar https://t.co/DMOOZMCE7z
— Trinity (@TrinityResists) December 3, 2020
I've said this several times and I'll reiterate it now. Unless you're planning to live in Georgia for the foreseeable future, don't do this, don't brag about doing this. It's illegal. https://t.co/rTiQlQn1yt
— liberalgoddess #BidenWon #DealWithIt ιωάννα (@liberalgoddess) December 3, 2020
The Georgia runoff elections are on January 5.