Kentucky cuts number of polling stations by 95 percent ahead of primary voting

‘It’s going to be an angry mob’: Kentucky cuts number of polling stations by 95 percent ahead of primary voting

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kentucky-cuts-polling-locations-angry-mob-long-lines-georgia-election-day-disaster-confusion-a9577501.html?utm_source=reddit.com

State officials on both sides of the political aisle released a joint statement condemning US District Court Judge Charles Simpson’s ruling against a case that argued having just one polling site in most of the state’s 120 counties would result in voter suppression.

“We believe the judge disregarded evidence from our expert witness that one location will suppress the vote, particularly among African Americans,” read the statement, co-authored by Jason Nemes, a Republican state representative, and Keisha Dorsey, a Democratic councilwoman for Louisville Metro. The lawmakers were both behind the lawsuit, which demanded an increase in statewide polling locations.

Reports have indicated voters throughout Kentucky received inaccurate absentee ballots — which many requested in order to vote from home rather than flocking to the polls in droves amid a Covid-19 outbreak — that do not match their party affiliations. In Kentucky, voters must be members of a party to participate in its primary elections.

In a typical election year, Kentucky has about 3,700 polling sites, according to most reports. When Election Day arrives on 23 June, there will be just 200 polling sites across the state — with some of those sites having to serve upwards of 600,000 residents.

Voting rights expert Ari Berman wrote in a tweet: “There will be one polling place for 616,000 registered voters in Louisville’s Jefferson County, where half state’s black voters live.”

He added: “This is going to be a disaster.”

Local officials blamed the pandemic and a seemingly rushed effort to send out ballots, which led to some voters reportedly receiving inaccurate paperwork.

"It's possible they got the wrong ballot, when there's over 2,200 different ballot styles and there are two ballots sitting next to each other one is a Republican and the other is Democrat," Nore Ghibaudy, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Clerk's Office, told WDRB in Louisville, Kentucky. "You've got to remember this is a very unique situation. We have sent out over 200,000 ballots in a short period of time working 24 hours a day seven days a week."

Straight up villains.

Of course, the GOP know that voter suppression is their means to winning.

It’s the GOP, they can only win by cheating. The people need to show up anyway.

Hey i know, you can make up for it with mail voting, I'm sure the GOP will support that to ensure voting is more accessible....

Hey now. We might get a reply that US is a republic. As in that somehow justifies it.

Okay, looks like staffing and health issues amid the pandemic (remember when the left thought large gatherings were bad?) caused issues with polling locations which was a bi-partisan agreement. Then a bi-partisan (meaning Republican and Democrat) lawsuit was aimed at adding additional polling locations for the major counties that but the judge dismissed it due to, again, bi-partisan agreements in expanding mail-in ballots, early voting, in-person voting and absentee ballots.

So, in summary, it's villain-esque to expand mail-in ballots, and early voting to compensate for the lack of polling locations due to health concerns amid a pandemic.

Doesn't Kentucky knows we can send our Ballots through the mail now?

@Stevo_the_gamer: exactly.

I live in Kentucky, no one is freaking out about polling locations. We have known for months to request mail in ballots, I did it and it was super easy! They made EVERYONE IN THE STATE eligible for mail in ballots. The Governor has been doing DAILY press conferences telling people to request their ballots.

It was so easy and quick to vote by mail people are wanting to expand this idea permanently, and this scares the crap out of Republicans