Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Georgia's Secretary of State Is Getting Dragged for Posting a Video Showing an African American Girl Who Couldn't Vote Because She Lacked Proper ID

Georgia's Secretary of State Is Getting Dragged for Posting a Video Showing an African American Girl Who Couldn't Vote Because She Lacked Proper ID
Georgia Secretary of State's Office

Seriously?

Georgia's Secretary of State and Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp is getting hammered on social media after a video posted to his official Secretary of State website showing a young black girl being denied the chance to vote was shared widely on Thursday.

The video, which was taken down after Newsweek reported on it, features kids entering a polling station and going through the voting process to demonstrate how early voting in Georgia works.


First a white boy votes without a problem, but then when a young African American girl goes to vote, she can't since she doesn't have the proper identification. The video explains that without an ID, voters can cast a provisional ballot that will only be counted if the voter returns within three days with a photo ID. If they don't, the ballot will be rejected.

Watch the clip below:

Social media blasted Kemp for having produced such a tone-deaf video, considering the pervasive disenfranchisement of minorities.

He was also accused of outright racism.

Kemp is locked in a tight race against Democrat Stacey Abrams, who if elected would become the country's first black female governor.

The ad is the latest example of voter suppression efforts being employed by Kemp's campaign and Georgia Republicans.

"We have known since 2016 that the exact match system has a disproportionate effect on people of color and on women," Abrams said Sunday on CNN's State of the Union.

“It's part of a pattern of behavior where [Kemp] tries to tilt the playing field in his favor or in the favor of his party," she told Meet the Press later that day.

Unfortunately for Georgia residents, Kemp is not only a candidate for the state's highest office - he's also in charge of the election, which has prompted calls for his resignation from Abrams campaign.

Under Kemp's direction, more than 53,000 Georgians, 70 percent of whom are black, have had their voter registrations placed on hold thanks to strict but arbitrary rules. Voter information, for example, must exactly match Social Security or driving records.

This "exact match" system marks any error -  inconsistent hyphens, misspellings, shortened nicknames or typos - as grounds for putting a voter's registration on hold.

Abrams is concerned that the prospect of being denied the right to vote may dissuade people from showing up.

“They get a confusing letter saying there’s something wrong with their registration,” she said on Sunday. “And more than likely they will sit out this election. The miasma of fear that is created through voter suppression is as much about terrifying people about trying to vote as it is about actually blocking their ability to do so.”

Kemp has referred to those critical of the rules and calling for his resignation as "left-wing radicals."

"While outside agitators disparage this office and falsely attack us, we have kept our head down and remained focused on ensuring secure, accessible, and fair elections for all voters," Kemp's campaign said in a statement. "The fact is that it has never been easier to register to vote and get engaged in the electoral process in Georgia.”

All 53,000 people will be able to vote with provisional ballots or if they show up with proper ID that matches their registration, however, many people may find they were purged from the rolls when they show up on Election Day. And if their ID doesn't match their voter information, it will be too late.

More from News

Donald Trump
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump Blasted For Announcing New Additions To The White House Lawn As Global Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump was criticized after announcing that two new flagpoles would be added to the North and South Lawns of the White House—not the greatest look amid heightened global unease as tensions between Israel and Iran ramp up.

According to the Associated Press, Trump watched as a crane installed the newest flagpole on the South Lawn, remarking, “It’s such a beautiful pole.” He later returned to the site to salute as the American flag was raised for the first time.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Donald Trump from CNN supercut
CNN

Trump Mocked For 'Two Weeks' Iran Deadline With Supercut Of All His 'Two Weeks' Promises

President Donald Trump has a history of promising to resolve problems within "two weeks," and a new viral supercut mocks him for all the times he's said as much—including right now with tensions in the Middle East higher than ever.

Trump said Thursday he will decide within two weeks whether to involve U.S. forces directly in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, citing what he called a “substantial chance” for renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran.

Keep ReadingShow less
red flag with pole on seashore
Seoyeon Choi on Unsplash

People Break Down The 'Silent Red Flags' Folks Tend To Ignore In Relationships

A red flag has come to mean any warning sign in life, in addition to the literal red flags that are placed on beaches or industrial sites to warn people of danger.

People will respond to situations by saying, "That’s a red flag." But before that language evolved, they'd just call them "warning signs."

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Tucker Carlson
The Tucker Carlson Show

Tucker Carlson And Ted Cruz Get Into Shouting Match Over Iran In Bonkers Interview Clip

Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz—a harsh Donald Trump critic-turned-MAGA minion—sat down with fired Fox News personality Tucker Carlson for the conservative influencer's self-produced online content,The Tucker Carlson Show, for the Tucker Carlson Network.

On Tuesday, Carlson shared a 1.5-minute clip revealing that things got contentious when the pair touched on the Trump administration's escalating tensions with Iran.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Barack Obama
Suzanne Plunkett-Pool/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Resurfaced Trump Tweet Criticizing Obama Over Iran Comes Back To Bite Him

Amid tensions with Iran, President Donald Trump was criticized for hypocrisy after social media users resurfaced a 2013 tweet in which he accused former President Barack Obama of planning an attack on Iran because of his "inability to negotiate properly."

Trump has declined to clarify whether the U.S. is edging closer to launching strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, following a warning from Iran’s supreme leader against any attack and a rejection of Trump’s demand for surrender.

Keep ReadingShow less