Kremer’s Corner: Stop the red state steal

The Island Now

It has been five months since a gang of disaffected voters stormed the U.S. Capitol with the intention of stopping the certification of the presidential vote.

They came with banners, nightsticks, flagpoles, bear repellant and other objects, determined not only to stop democracy in its tracks but to overthrow the government of the United States, One particular banner, “stop the steal” was meant to convey their unhappiness with the loss of the White House by Donald J. Trump.

After watching the mischief in 21 Republican states and the stalling tactics from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his gang, it is clear now that the rowdy bunch from January was ahead of their time.

The real “steal” is going on now all over America as Republican statehouses begin an aggressive campaign to steal the 2022 and 2024 elections from the Democratic Party.

An examination of the many laws either passed or pending in the red state legislatures shows clearly that their motives are aimed a keeping black and Hispanic voters from getting to the polls and depressing turnout in general.

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Having been a candidate for public office in 12 elections, I know a lot about voting patterns. I have frequently stood outside polling places at 9 P.M., just as the polls closed.

Every presidential or congressional election always brings out a larger turnout than in so-called off years. During those even-year elections, large numbers of people show up at the polls after work and are willing to wait on long lines to exercise their right to vote.

It is very common to see lines of voters outside the doors at 9 P.M. And the rule is if they are on line waiting to vote, you let them in to cast their ballot.

The Georgia legislature knows voting patterns too. That’s why they have voted to close the polls at 5 P.M. It’s a simple way to keep working people from casting their ballots. There are many ways to encourage people to vote.

One of them is to have official ballot boxes in various communities so that the elderly and poor people can drop off their ballots and avoid the long lines at public buildings. Georgia doesn’t want those boxes on the streets because it encourages participation and they might mean a few more Democratic votes.

Many states made dramatic changes in the law during the pandemic to accommodate people who were afraid to show up at a community building. That reform helped create a bigger turnout.

The red-state officials assumed the turnout was more on the Democratic side so they have abolished drive in voting, the mailing of absentee ballot applications and even giving a water bottle to a voter in 100-degree weather.

Every state in the nation has different ways for voters to prove that they are the same person as the one in the enrollment books. Some require a witness on a mail-in ballot and others have their own ways of verification.

The old way has been good enough throughout America for over 100 years, But the new way to stop minority voters is to insist on them getting a paid notary to certify the signature. Others want driver’s licenses, which stops a lot of elderly people from voting if they never had a license to begin with.

These dictator-type requirements are approved primarily to appease the former president. Mr. Trump has now spent four and a half months out of the limelight spending most of his time attacking any Republican who disagrees with his madness that the election was stolen.

His brooding reached new heights when he has recently predicted that he will be restored to power in August through some magical process.

But rather than focus on Mr. Trump as he wallows in self-pity, it is now time for the Democratic Party to buy up all the “stop the steal banners” and tailor their message to the upcoming 2022 and 2024 elections.

Like it or not, Republican plans are moving along rapidly to steal both elections from the Democrats who are still basking in the glow of Joe Biden’s victory.

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