The Independent View: GA Lincoln County Wants To Eliminate All Polling Places But One

Lincoln County, Georgia, is trying to Close All but One Polling Place for 2022 Elections, a move Opposed by Voting and Civil Rights Groups.

Relocating Voters from the County’s Seven Precincts to a Single Location, will make voting “easier and more accessible” and Eliminate the need to Transport Voting Equipment and Staff the remaining Sites, according to a News Release. Community Members Disagreed.

“Lincoln County is a very rural county. Some people live as far as 23 miles from the city of Lincolnton,” said Denise Freeman, an Activist and former Lincoln County School Board Member. “This is not about convenience for the citizens. This is about control. This is about the good old boys wanting to do what they’ve always done, which is power and control.”

The move was made possible, after the Georgia General Assembly passed Legislation earlier this year, Disbanding the Lincoln County Board of Elections. The Chief Sponsor of Senate Bills 282 and 283 was Sen. Lee Anderson (R-24th District, Grovetown), whose District includes Lincoln County. The Newly-appointed Board agreed to move forward with the “consolidation” Plan and was expected to Vote on it last week, but appeared to lack a Quorum, several said.

Multiple Public Interest Groups including: the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda; Common Cause Georgia; the Southern Poverty Law Center; and Augusta’s Interfaith Coalition, are taking a Stand against the Effort.

Aunna Dennis, Executive Director for Common Cause Georgia, said the move is an Extension of Senate Bill 202, which tightened Restrictions on Voting and gave the State the Authority to take over Elections Boards.

“They’re trying to do this undercover precinct consolidation, so we’re going to go ahead with the canvassing drive,” Dennis said. Obtaining Signatures from roughly 20% of the Population of a Single Precinct would appear to have the effect of Blocking the Move, at least Temporarily.

Dennis attributed the Lincoln County effort to a Parger push across Rural Georgia. “I think there are bad actors who are wanting to pilot precinct consolidations and takeovers of elections boards in smaller counties,” she said. With Multiple Voting Changes from Senate Bill 202 already Underway, adding the precinct closures in a county that lacks a public transportation budget – and attempting to pass them over the holiday season – is too much, Dennis said. “There’s no real justification for something this drastic,” she said. “This is something that is trying to be steamrolled outside the public eye.”

The Rev. Chris Johnson, Head of the Interfaith Coalition, said “The Group tried to get the Elections Board to wait a Month before Voting.” While a Member said, “Last week’s meeting would be postponed a week, others are saying the board won’t meet again until next month. There are no notices posted about a rescheduled meeting this week.”

“The citizens are looking at the disenfranchisement of the body of the people that now have to go to a place outside of their area to vote,” Johnson said.

The effort is Reminiscent of, the 2019 push in Randolph County, to Close All but Two Polling Places in the Majority-Black County. The Elections Board later Voted to Close Three Rural White Precincts instead, leaving Six Open.

Lincoln County did Not grow in the 2020 Census, losing about 300 People for a Current Population of 7,690. Unlike Randolph, the County is Majority White, with Black Residents comprising about 28% of the Population.

Lincoln Elections Director, Lilvender Bolton, Survived the Dismantling of the Elections Board.

In a Statement, Poy Winichakul, Staff Attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said the Poll Closures amount to a Diminution of Voting Strength, particularly among Minority Voters and Applauded the efforts of Local Activists.

“By eliminating six of the seven Lincoln County polling places, the Lincoln County Board of elections is diminishing the voices of their voters, especially Black voters. Even worse, they have tried to deny Lincoln County residents opportunity for input by attempting to rush a vote while failing to give adequate public notice, and they still have not provided clear communication on when they will vote to close Lincoln County polling places," Winichakul said.