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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 24 august 2018

Black voters energized amid outcry over polling places

By ERRIN HAINES WHACK plained. "We were able to
and BRINLEY HINEMAN talk to people one on one,
CUTHBERT, Ga. (AP) — Of- and we said it isn't fair and
ficials in a predominantly shouldn't happen. We have
black Georgia county fired not come together on an
a consultant amid wide- issue like this in a long time."
spread backlash to a pro- Many who gathered at
posal that would close most the restaurant Wednesday
polling places in the area were motivated by the re-
three months ahead of a gion's long civil rights his-
potentially historic election. tory. The Rev. Martin Luther
Consultant Mike Malone King Jr. waged an unsuc-
had advocated consoli- cessful attempt to deseg-
dating the polling sites after regate nearby Albany,
he was hired in April. Ran- Georgia, in the early 1960s
dolph County lawyer Tom- — and was jailed in Sum-
my Coleman sent Malone ter County. Several people
a letter Wednesday ending spoke of their own efforts
the contract, according to during the era and those of
a copy of the letter Cole- relatives, friends and others
man gave The Associated This combination of May 20, 2018, file photos shows Georgia gubernatorial candidates Stacey in the community to work
Press on Thursday. Abrams, left, and Brian Kemp in Atlanta. for racial equality.
Despite the firing, the Ran- Associated Press Sandra Willis recalled that
dolph County Board of her aunt was "run out of
Elections will still — for now of State Brian Kemp, have go forward with the pro- gressional District, which town" after attempting to
— hold a vote Friday on opposed the measure. posal. includes Randolph Coun- register black voters during
whether to eliminate seven With a mostly African-Amer- In a letter to Randolph ty. "I guarantee you they the 1950s, and that she was
of the rural county's nine ican population of about County officials, the Con- thought it was going to be forced to go travel nearly
polling places ahead of this 7,000, Randolph County is gressional Black Caucus omitted and overlooked in 200 miles (320 kilometers)
fall's pivotal midterm elec- one of the state's smallest called the measure "a de- southwest Georgia." north to Atlanta for work.
tions. Malone did not re- and poorest rural commu- liberate effort to disenfran- Former Randolph County Willis said she was con-
spond Thursday to a voice- nities. The proposal has gar- chise an emerging and en- Schools Superintendent cerned about the possible
mail seeking comment. nered national attention — gaged demographic." Bobby Jenkins discovered closing of polling places.
County officials have said and energized black voters "In light of the impending the proposed precinct clos- "I'm going to fight," she said.
they're considering clos- to become more involved historic gubernatorial elec- ings on Aug. 8. Scanning "I'm going to be a part of
ing polling locations that in the political process. tion in November, we are the local newspaper's legal everything that goes on,
are inaccessible to voters On Wednesday, two days deeply concerned that section with his magnifying because my aunt suffered
with disabilities, and ar- before the board of elec- the bedrock tenets of de- glass, he came across the in order for us to vote. I am
gued they cannot afford tions vote, residents gath- mocracy would be under notice. not gonna stand by and
to make the buildings com- ered at the Stonehouse attack should this proposal "I said, this doesn't make let nobody hinder the work
pliant with the Americans Restaurant to rally against be adopted and imple- any sense," Jenkins re- that she did. ... I would be
with Disabilities Act. But the measure. Volunteers mented," the letter said. called. a fool to let somebody take
critics say the closures will scrambled to collect 400 Before a landmark Su- His wife, Naomi, said she is that away from this com-
disenfranchise the county's signatures — 20 percent preme Court ruling in 2013, surprised by the national munity."
electorate ahead of an of registered voters in the an attempt to close poll- attention the proposal has Hearing such comments
election in which Stacey county — needed to block ing places would have re- received. She attributed heartened longtime resi-
Abrams is attempting to the vote. The ACLU of Geor- quired approval from the the outcry to the "blatant" dent Bertha Murphy, 76. Sit-
become the country's first gia is threatening to sue, federal government. At attempts to suppress voter ting at a table near the front
black female governor. An- arguing that the burden Wednesday's gathering, turnout among blacks. of the room, she smiled,
other black woman, Dem- of driving to the remaining several longtime residents "This is a tactic they've used telling group members their
ocrat Joyce Barlow, is run- polling places will fall dis- said the move is part of a since the '50s," said Naomi energy was "something I've
ning for a state legislative proportionately on black well-worn pattern of voter Jenkins, adding that the waited for years to see."
seat in an attempt to oust residents. suppression in the region. community's response has "It's a new beginning for
a white conservative who is On Thursday, leaders of the "There's a history of hassles been "quite unusual for us." Randolph County," she
a 35-year incumbent and a Georgia Legislative Black in Randolph County," said "We stay in our little places said. "I know anything that
native of the area. Caucus and the Congres- Bobby Fuse, chairman of and we don't have much we decide we want to do,
Abrams and her Republi- sional Black Caucus strong- the Democratic Party of to say, plus we know ev- we can do it, because the
can opponent, Secretary ly urged the county not to Georgia's Second Con- erybody in town," she ex- spirit is real."q