The Georgia Secretary of State’s office this week is investigating a claim that a Rockdale County Shell station is guilty of offering free gas for people providing evidence that they’ve voted – a felony according to Georgia elections law.
Rockdale County Elections supervisor Cynthia Welch first investigated the claims on Monday after being informed that the Shell gas station at the corner of West Avenue and Green Street in Conyers was offering free $5 gas cards to customers who came in with their ‘I voted’ Georgia peach sticker. Upon arriving, Welch found signs for Conyers mayoral candidate Ronnie Godwin and the staff all wearing shirts with his campaign logo.
Store employees denied the claim, but a since-deleted Facebook post from Godwin’s official page was found that read –
“After you early vote tomorrow in the City of Conyers election, go get $5.00 of free gasoline at the Shell station at West Avenue and Green Street. Enter the store with your ‘I Voted’ decal and provide identification indicating you are a city of Conyers resident. Offer is limited to the first 100 participants.”
Welch informed the gas station clerk that such an offer is illegal, and turned over her findings to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office which will perform its own investigation and determine what punishment to dole out. According to Georgia Code 21-2-570 – “Any person who gives or receives, offers to give or receive, or participates in the giving or receiving of money or gifts for the purpose of registering as a voter, voting, or voting for a particular candidate in any primary or election shall be guilty of a felony.”
