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A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 4 December 2020

Georgia GOP seeks mail-in ballot changes after Biden's win

ous secretary of state. He ve- who knows someone’s name, Young says adding a photo
hemently denied the allega- address and date of birth can ID requirement for absen-
tions. Kemp faces reelection request an absentee ballot on tee voting would be harm-
— and a possible rematch that person’s behalf. She said ful because “we know that
against Abrams — in 2022. that while signature matches these barriers have a different
provide some security for impact on African Ameri-
Raffensperger also has sug- mail-in ballots, the process can voters, on younger vot-
gested allowing state officials should be shored up. ers and, in this instance, on
to intervene in counties that seniors who have certainly
have systemic problems with One way to do that could be earned the right” to vote.
administering elections and to require a person's driver's
broadening the ways in which license number or a photo- State Sen. Jen Jordan, an
challenges can be posed to copy of a separate form of ID, Atlanta Democrat, echoed
votes cast by residents who she said. Young’s concerns, saying Re-
don’t live where they say. publicans were offering solu-
“We need to secure all av- tions in search of a problem.
The photo ID idea has sup- enues that we can of absen-
(AP) — After weathering Trump, who for months has port among several mem- tee ballots so we never have “What this says to me is that
criticism for certifying sowed unsubstantiated doubt bers of the state legislature, a candidate run around this they just don’t want people
President Donald Trump's about the integrity of mail-in including Republican Sen- state again saying the election voting," Jordan said. “And
narrow election loss to votes, has also made baseless ate Majority Leader Mike was stolen because of absen- they specifically don’t want
Democrat Joe Biden, Re- claims of widespread fraud in Dugan. “I don't think there tee ballots,” she said. Democrats voting, or people
publican officials in Geor- the presidential race in Geor- should be different standards that don’t support their cho-
gia are proposing addi- gia. for the same process,” Dugan While Republicans seem sen candidates voting, and
tional requirements for said in an interview. ready to press forward with they’re going to try to make
the state's vote-by-mail Secretary of State Brad the photo ID requirement it as hard as possible."
process, despite no evi- Raffensperger and his staff Republican House Speaker during the upcoming legisla-
dence of systemic fraud or have vehemently rebuffed David Ralston has been skep- tive session, Democrats and Democrats and voting rights
irregularities. those claims, stating un- tical of voting by mail, telling civil rights organizations are groups have for years sought
equivocally that there is no a local news outlet in April raising alarms. to decrease rejections of ab-
Two state Senate committees evidence of systemic errors or that increased mail voting sentee ballots in Georgia,
held hearings Thursday to fraud in last month's election. “will be extremely devastat- With no evidence of wide- arguing that minorities have
begin a review of Georgia’s Yet Raffensperger and Gov. ing to Republicans and con- spread fraud or other prob- been disproportionately af-
voting laws. Republicans are Brian Kemp, both Republi- servatives in Georgia.” Po- lems in the election, it fected. Absentee ballots are
zeroing in on a plan to require cans who have been publicly litical analysts have said that doesn’t make sense to talk sometimes rejected because
a photo ID for ballots cast by lambasted by Trump, have typically more Democrats about measures that could signatures on the outer enve-
mail. Voting rights activists joined the push to require a than Republicans use mail-in ultimately prove to be bar- lope are deemed not to match
and Democrats argue that the photo ID for absentee voting. ballots. riers to voting, said Andrea signatures in the voter regis-
change isn't necessary and Young, executive director of tration system, or because the
would disenfranchise voters. “Voters casting their ballots Ralston later said he was not the American Civil Liberties envelope is not signed at all.
in person must show a photo talking about his party losing Union of Georgia.
Biden beat Trump by just ID, and we should consider an advantage but the poten- An agreement signed in
over 12,500 votes in Georgia, applying that same standard tial for fraud. “We must do “What is the problem that March to settle a lawsuit
with Biden receiving nearly to mail-in balloting,” Kemp everything in our power to you’re trying to solve?" she filed by the Democratic Party
twice as many of the record said in remarks streamed live ensure votes are not stolen, asked. “The rule should be spells out a standard process
number of absentee ballots online. cast fraudulently or plagued first, ‘Do no harm’ when it that must be used statewide
as the Republican president, by administrative errors,” he comes to democracy, and to judge the signatures. That
according to the secretary of Kemp faced accusations of said in a statement this week. whenever there are more agreement has been the sub-
state's office. A recount re- voter suppression during his restrictions being put on a ject of much of Trump's on-
quested by Trump was wrap- successful 2018 run for gov- Deputy Secretary of State process, you run the risk of line ire, and he has incorrect-
ping up and wasn't expected ernor against Democrat Sta- Jordan Fuchs said in an in- disenfranchising Georgia ly said it “makes it impossible
to change the overall out- cey Abrams, an election he terview with The Associated citizens.” to check & match signatures
come. oversaw as Georgia's previ- Press that currently anyone on ballots and envelopes.”

Ivanka Trump deposed as part of inauguration fund lawsuit

(AP) — President Donald Trump’s inaugural commit- did. mittee of misusing nonprofit ing has drawn continued
Trump's daughter and se- tee spent more than $1 mil- funds and coordinating with scrutiny.
nior White House adviser lion to book a ballroom at the “This ‘inquiry’ is another the hotel’s management and
said Thursday that she was Trump International Hotel as politically motivated dem- members of the Trump fam- In a statement, Alan Garten
deposed for more than part of a scheme to “grossly onstration of vindictiveness ily to arrange the events. with the Trump Organiza-
five hours by attorneys overpay” for party space and & waste of taxpayer dollars,” tion said that “Ms. Trump’s
alleging that the presi- enrich the president’s own she tweeted. “District law requires non- only involvement was con-
dent's 2017 inauguration family in the process, the profits to use their funds for necting the parties and in-
committee misused donor District of Columbia’s at- Her deposition on Tuesday their stated public purpose, structing the hotel to charge
funds — an inquiry Ivanka torney general, Karl Racine, was first reported by CNN. not to benefit private individ- a ‘fair market rate,’ which the
Trump claimed is a “waste alleges. As part of the suit, the at- uals or companies,” Racine hotel did.”
of taxpayer dollars.” torneys have subpoenaed has said. “In this case, we are
Ivanka Trump, who was de- records from Ivanka Trump, seeking to recover the non-
The Washington, D.C., attor- posed on Tuesday, tweeted first lady Melania Trump, profit funds that were im-
ney general's office has filed a that she gave attorneys from Thomas Barrack Jr., a close properly funneled directly to
lawsuit alleging the commit- the D.C. attorney general’s friend of the president who the Trump family business.”
tee made more than $1 mil- office an email she wrote on chaired the inaugural com- The committee raised an
lion in improper payments to Dec. 14, 2016, where she in- mittee, and others. Barrack unprecedented $107 mil-
the president’s Washington, structed the Trump hotel to was deposed last month. lion to host events celebrat-
D.C., hotel during the week charge a “fair market rate," ing Trump’s inauguration in
of the inauguration in 2017. which she said the the hotel Racine has accused the com- January 2017, but its spend-