Comments on: What’s the matter with Georgia? [CORRECTED]

By: voter rights

voter rights — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:42:15 +0000

Handle is not responsible for determining how many polling places are open for early voting, or on election day. There were 30 extra days to early vote this year.

You can thank John Lewis who pushed the 1965 Voting Rights bill back through the congress for the counties requirement to go to the feds to ask to extend the hours.

Not sure how 2,000,000 people can vote early and that be called voter suppression.

By: Laura

Laura — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 03:38:28 +0000

Hmmm, I waited 2 hours in line this time, and 5 minutes in 2004, both times on election day proper, same polling place, and I believe there were more machines this time. Hearing the same from friends. So where are the numbers that reflect this?

I do have a friend who was scared off by the reported 8 hour lines in Gwinnett during early voting. With an unsympathetic boss, and no one to pick up her kids, she didn’t risk going.

By: DaleC

DaleC — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:26:42 +0000

“Puts a big barrier in front of people that are not as organized.”

If someone is too lazy, excuse me “disorganized”, to mail in a registration form, they shouldn’t vote. I registered when I got my GA drivers license, that was as difficult as answering “yes” when they asked if I wanted to register.

Sorry, there are no real barriers to voting in this state.

By: Lance Tyler

Lance Tyler — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:41:06 +0000

As of November 5, 2008, the Georgia Secretary of State’s posted election results list Gwinnett County as having reported 163 of 163 precincts. At the same time, the Gwinnett County election site (http://www.gwinnettcounty.com) Election Summary Report lists Gwinnett as reporting 163 of 164 precincts.
Further review of the Gwinnett Election Summary Report provides that the allegedly missing precinct includes both County Commission Districts D1 and D3. Since D1 and D3 are mutually exclusive and both are reporting one precinct short, it would seem that this 164th precinct is a county wide precinct.
The Gwinnett County Election Summary Report notes that, “precincts reporting includes absentee, early, and advance counts.” To add further confusion, the precinct map provided on the website does not show any unreported precincts. So where or what is this 164th precinct?

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 22:28:05 +0000

Because the Republicans are stealing the election. Those votes were cast. They have not been counted. Wake up, Georgia!

By: PalinWho?

PalinWho? — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:24:27 +0000

Yes, one has to wonder why did I have to stand in line for 2 hours at early voting if the numbers did not rise that much. I mean kerry wasn’t even close to being in the running 4 years ago and Obama looked like a possibility.

Something is odd.

By: paul

paul — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 06:05:16 +0000

Georgia ended up a red state–perhaps the lack in surge was a lack in the voters that surged, aka, young Democrats.

I would also suggest looking at “active” voter percentages–that is, what percentage of voters that voted in the last major election (say, 2004) voted in this election. This throws out any people that left their voting area and were not taken off the list.

Finally, in Georgia, you must register in advance of election day. I would imagine the turnout rate would be higher if you could register on election day. Puts a big barrier in front of people that are not as organized.