How much?
So giving someone that has been in line 4 hours waiting to vote a bottle of water and a cookie is widespread voter fraud.....
voting should be made as easy as possible in a free democracy.
you quoted me but managed not to directly respond to any of the points I raised.
Amerikkka’s history is undeniable and irrefutable.
I think we can agree that long lines at polling places are ridiculous. This seems to be the main problem. I'll agree that historically there has been voter suppression.
You said "In Georgia, It just became illegal to give someone waiting to vote food or water . . ." It is true that house bill 531 passed in the house (
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/59831). However, unless I missed it, the senate bill does not include this provision (
https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/60009). It remains to be seen what version (if any) actually becomes law.
Here's the provision in the house bill:
>>>Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (a) of Code Section 21-2-414, relating
to restrictions on campaign activities and public opinion polling within the vicinity of a
polling place, cellular phone use prohibited, prohibition of candidates from entering certain
polling places, and penalty, as follows:
"(a) No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method, nor shall any
person distribute or display any campaign material,
nor shall any person give, offer to give,
or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but not limited to, food and
drink, to an elector, nor shall any person solicit signatures for any petition, nor shall any
person, other than election officials discharging their duties, establish or set up any tables
or booths on any day in which ballots are being cast:
(1) Within 150 feet of the outer edge of any building within which a polling place is established;
(2) Within any polling place; or
(3) Within 25 feet of any voter standing in line to vote at any polling place.
These restrictions shall not apply to conduct occurring in private offices or areas which
cannot be seen or heard by such electors."<<< (the underlined portion indicates the new material)
As an initial matter, various news reports refer to this applying within 150 feet of polling place. Although this is technically true, this appears to be somewhat misleading because it also applies within 25 feet of voters standing in line. As I read this, it applies even if the person in line is more than 150 feet from the building.
Although (a) begins with "No person shall solicit votes in any manner . . ." the new section begins with "nor shall . . ." I'm not sure how a court would construe this if it were to become law, but on the face of it the new prohibitions are
not limited to an attempt to "solicit" votes (i.e. it's broader).
On the other hand, it is limited to "giving of any money or gifts." This is not legal advice, but I don't see how a person could be prosecuted if they were to sell food and drink to people in line at cost because this would not involve a gift. Assuming people had been giving free food and drink to people in line because they wanted to help people stay in line, these people should be able to sell food and drink at cost (if this were to become law).
Federal law (18 U.S.C. Section 597) states:
>>>§597. Expenditures to influence voting
Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and
Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.<<<
Notice that this is actually broader in some respects than the provision in the house bill in Georgia because it is not limited to activity at or near polling places.
Arguably, giving free food or drink to a person in line so they will stay in line and vote is "an expenditure . . . to vote" that is already prohibited by federal law. I'm not aware of anyone being prosecuted under this law in the voting line situation.
I'll answer my own hypothetical. It should be (and is) illegal under federal law to give people in line cash if they promise to vote for a particular candidate.
Regardless, the long lines strike me as being the major problem. In a sense, the alleged need to pass laws regulating behavior in lines at polling places is by itself evidence of a problem. It's ridiculous.
Poll lines in Georgia are long and getting worse. An investigation by Georgia Public Broadcasting and ProPublica digs into why the state hasn't added polling places in its fastest-growing counties.
www.npr.org
