ATLANTA – The Georgia NAACP calls on Sheriff Daune K. Piper to order all partisan paraphernalia and unlawful political activity by his staff to cease and desist as voting takes place in the most divisive and polarizing elections in the modern era.
“We have received numerous complaints from citizens in Forsyth County, Georgia that the Sheriff’s Office is decorated in partisan campaign paraphernalia. The complaints also point to deputies in full uniform and/or in patrol cars engaged in political campaigning. Citizens report having Sheriff’s vehicles making numerous trips around the general vicinity of a polling place. These actions can have the chilling effect of intimidate potential voters,” said Francys Johnson, Statesboro Attorney and Georgia NAACP President.
Today, the U.S. holds the first presidential election since 1965 without the full protection of the Voting Rights Act. Other complaints include long lines with limited voting machines in some areas; vote flipping as voting machine malfunction; and Online Apps sending voters to the wrong location.
“As the Georgia NAACP continues to advocate against retrogressive laws that make it harder to cast a ballot and litigate suppressive measures in the courts; we are also monitoring election administration and providing direct nonpartisan assistance to voters,” said Johnson.
The Georgia NAACP is on the ground on Election Day in 115 of Georgia’s counties protecting voters’ right to vote and have their vote counted free from interference, intimidation, or discrimination. Today’s election monitoring is done in conjunction with the NAACP LDF, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Election Protection and ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.
Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. The Georgia NAACP has had an unbroken presence in Georgia since 1917. The Georgia NAACP maintains a network of branches throughout Georgia, from cities to small rural counties. The Georgia NAACP has been the most effective and consistent advocates for civil and human rights in Georgia. The NAACP’s half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
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