Tim White from the Fay-O speaks out:
The last time the local board of elections met, Republican Kevin Hight proposed an early-voting plan that would eliminate the Smith Recreation Center as an early-voting site and end Sunday voting. I was surprised, because he certainly knows that the rec center is in the middle of a mostly African-American neighborhood near Fayetteville State University, and that it's well used by voters there. He also knows that Sunday voting - "souls to the polls" - is really popular in African-American church congregations. It was, in short, a pretty blatant move to cut into the black vote - which is also a predominantly Democratic vote.
Turns out this was no one-county aberration: It was orders from the top. Dallas Woodhouse, the state GOP executive director, had sent out a call urging all boards of elections to engage in such mischief. And he wasn't apologizing - political meddling in early voting is completely appropriate, he said. His brother, a Democratic activist, had a clearer view of it: He called it racist. Whether it's hyper-partisanship or racism, it's ugly and wrong.
I'm afraid it's equal parts of both. Normally professionalism and responsibility keep most of these boards of elections from falling into those muddy waters, but this blatantly partisan communication from Dallas Woodhouse is having its desired effect: Giving approval to those board members who are already tempted to wield their power unjustly, and intimidating others who fear they might be removed for not toeing the party line. And the reference to earlier injustices is both fair and appropriate:
http://ift.tt/2bY8bJw
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