Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has made it clear that he’s worried about having a fair election on November 8th. He has repeatedly warned supporters of the possibility of widespread voter fraud and of the possibility of a ‘rigged election’, something that would of course be unprecedented in Presidential politics in America.
He’s not alone though, in worrying about voter fraud and the effects it could have at the ballot box. Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who is in charge of elections in the state, shares some of his concerns.
Stand with me in opposition to the left’s blatant attempts to disrupt Georgia’s elections! pic.twitter.com/hDnjCrkBh5
— Brian Kemp (@BrianKempGA) October 19, 2016
Not one for subtlety, Kemp has long been vocal about the threat of voter fraud from the Democrats. The question is, should he, (or you) be worried?
According to statistics from the Secretary of State’s office, there have been 152 official reports of election complaints from 2014 to September of this year. With tens of millions of votes cast in that same period, it’s safe to say that if there is any widespread voting fraud, it certainly isn’t being reported.
Kemp has long battled with liberal groups over voting rights, taking on multiple lawsuits over issues such as cleaning out voter rolls and denying applications over minor errors. The Secretary of State, on the flip side, has defended his record by pointing to the streamlined registration process online and decrying his accusers for playing politics.
Another worry for voters is the voting machines themselves, which have recently come under scrutiny in Georgia. Three reports of the machines switching votes in Clayton, Cobb, and Coweta counties have recently sparked concern throughout the state. Kemp’s office is investigating, but experts have pointed to the culprit likely being a mere calibration issue. Three incidents out of over 1.5 million votes cast on said machines this cycle again seems like a very minor issue.
Then there’s the looming issue of voter intimidation, another problem Trump has brought to the forefront of the voter consciousness. Already four states, (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona) have filed lawsuits against the Trump campaign for encouraging ‘election observers’ to intimidate voters at polling stations. Local GOP officers have of course denied the accusations, calling them another publicity stunt ahead of voting day.
At the end of the day as a voter it’s best to ignore all the noise and know that if you do your civic duty in Georgia, it’s going to count.
