SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
With massive purges of registered voters from the state's roles sparking widespread condemnation and suppression efforts being challenged in court, Jimmy Carter said Brian Kemp operating as both a candidate and the top election authority in Georgia is a violation of the "most fundamental principle of democratic elections." (Photo: Jessica McGowan/Getty Images/AFP)
Calling on Brian Kemp to Resign, Jimmy Carter Says Being a Candidate While Also Controlling Election Process Violates 'Most Fundamental Principle' of Democracy
"In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close, I urge you to step aside."
Oct 29, 2018
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who has also spearheaded election monitor in countries across the world for decades, has called on Brian Kemp--the Georgia Republican who is running for governor while also serving as Secretary of State--to resign from his post in order to ensure integrity of the state's upcoming election.
"In Georgia's upcoming gubernatorial election, popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past and the serious questions that the federal courts have raised about the security of Georgia's voting machines, but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate." --Jimmy Carter
With major purges of registered voters from the state's roles sparking widespread condemnation and suppression efforts being challenged in court, Carter warned that Kemp operating as both a candidate and the top election authority is a violation of the "most fundamental principle of democratic elections."
Carter issued his request to Kemp in a letter sent last week, but the Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter and published it Monday.
"In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close," the letter states, "I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor's election. This would not address every concern, but it would be a sign that you recognize the importance of this key democratic principle and want to ensure the confidence of our citizens in the outcome."
Amid the controversy and outrage sparked by Kemp's behavior, voting rights advocates in the state and nationwide have been urging people to counter the suppression effort with a massive get-out-the-vote drive for his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams:
As Talking Point Memo notes, "Disclosure of Carter's letter comes with Kemp under scrutiny from multiple fronts, chief among them 53,000 voter registrations being held up by Kemp's office. Under the state's strict election laws, mail-in registrations must match exactly a voter's records on file with the Social Security Administration or Georgia's driver's license agency."
Below is the full text of Carter's letter, as obtained by AP:
October 22, 2018
To Secretary of State Brian Kemp:
I have officially observed scores of doubtful elections in many countries, and one of the key requirements for a fair and trusted process is that there be nonbiased supervision of the electoral process.
In Georgia's upcoming gubernatorial election, popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past and the serious questions that the federal courts have raised about the security of Georgia's voting machines, but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate. This runs counter to the most fundamental principle of democratic elections -- that the electoral process be managed by an independent and impartial election authority. Other secretaries of state have stepped down while running for election within their jurisdiction, to ensure that officials without a direct stake in the process can take charge and eliminate concerns about a conflict of interest.
In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close, I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor's election. This would not address every concern, but it would be a sign that you recognize the importance of this key democratic principle and want to ensure the confidence of our citizens in the outcome.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Carter
The Honorable Brian F. Kemp
Secretary of State
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who has also spearheaded election monitor in countries across the world for decades, has called on Brian Kemp--the Georgia Republican who is running for governor while also serving as Secretary of State--to resign from his post in order to ensure integrity of the state's upcoming election.
"In Georgia's upcoming gubernatorial election, popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past and the serious questions that the federal courts have raised about the security of Georgia's voting machines, but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate." --Jimmy Carter
With major purges of registered voters from the state's roles sparking widespread condemnation and suppression efforts being challenged in court, Carter warned that Kemp operating as both a candidate and the top election authority is a violation of the "most fundamental principle of democratic elections."
Carter issued his request to Kemp in a letter sent last week, but the Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter and published it Monday.
"In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close," the letter states, "I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor's election. This would not address every concern, but it would be a sign that you recognize the importance of this key democratic principle and want to ensure the confidence of our citizens in the outcome."
Amid the controversy and outrage sparked by Kemp's behavior, voting rights advocates in the state and nationwide have been urging people to counter the suppression effort with a massive get-out-the-vote drive for his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams:
As Talking Point Memo notes, "Disclosure of Carter's letter comes with Kemp under scrutiny from multiple fronts, chief among them 53,000 voter registrations being held up by Kemp's office. Under the state's strict election laws, mail-in registrations must match exactly a voter's records on file with the Social Security Administration or Georgia's driver's license agency."
Below is the full text of Carter's letter, as obtained by AP:
October 22, 2018
To Secretary of State Brian Kemp:
I have officially observed scores of doubtful elections in many countries, and one of the key requirements for a fair and trusted process is that there be nonbiased supervision of the electoral process.
In Georgia's upcoming gubernatorial election, popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past and the serious questions that the federal courts have raised about the security of Georgia's voting machines, but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate. This runs counter to the most fundamental principle of democratic elections -- that the electoral process be managed by an independent and impartial election authority. Other secretaries of state have stepped down while running for election within their jurisdiction, to ensure that officials without a direct stake in the process can take charge and eliminate concerns about a conflict of interest.
In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close, I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor's election. This would not address every concern, but it would be a sign that you recognize the importance of this key democratic principle and want to ensure the confidence of our citizens in the outcome.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Carter
The Honorable Brian F. Kemp
Secretary of State
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who has also spearheaded election monitor in countries across the world for decades, has called on Brian Kemp--the Georgia Republican who is running for governor while also serving as Secretary of State--to resign from his post in order to ensure integrity of the state's upcoming election.
"In Georgia's upcoming gubernatorial election, popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past and the serious questions that the federal courts have raised about the security of Georgia's voting machines, but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate." --Jimmy Carter
With major purges of registered voters from the state's roles sparking widespread condemnation and suppression efforts being challenged in court, Carter warned that Kemp operating as both a candidate and the top election authority is a violation of the "most fundamental principle of democratic elections."
Carter issued his request to Kemp in a letter sent last week, but the Associated Press obtained a copy of the letter and published it Monday.
"In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close," the letter states, "I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor's election. This would not address every concern, but it would be a sign that you recognize the importance of this key democratic principle and want to ensure the confidence of our citizens in the outcome."
Amid the controversy and outrage sparked by Kemp's behavior, voting rights advocates in the state and nationwide have been urging people to counter the suppression effort with a massive get-out-the-vote drive for his Democratic opponent Stacey Abrams:
As Talking Point Memo notes, "Disclosure of Carter's letter comes with Kemp under scrutiny from multiple fronts, chief among them 53,000 voter registrations being held up by Kemp's office. Under the state's strict election laws, mail-in registrations must match exactly a voter's records on file with the Social Security Administration or Georgia's driver's license agency."
Below is the full text of Carter's letter, as obtained by AP:
October 22, 2018
To Secretary of State Brian Kemp:
I have officially observed scores of doubtful elections in many countries, and one of the key requirements for a fair and trusted process is that there be nonbiased supervision of the electoral process.
In Georgia's upcoming gubernatorial election, popular confidence is threatened not only by the undeniable racial discrimination of the past and the serious questions that the federal courts have raised about the security of Georgia's voting machines, but also because you are now overseeing the election in which you are a candidate. This runs counter to the most fundamental principle of democratic elections -- that the electoral process be managed by an independent and impartial election authority. Other secretaries of state have stepped down while running for election within their jurisdiction, to ensure that officials without a direct stake in the process can take charge and eliminate concerns about a conflict of interest.
In order to foster voter confidence in the upcoming election, which will be especially important if the race ends up very close, I urge you to step aside and hand over to a neutral authority the responsibility of overseeing the governor's election. This would not address every concern, but it would be a sign that you recognize the importance of this key democratic principle and want to ensure the confidence of our citizens in the outcome.
Sincerely,
Jimmy Carter
The Honorable Brian F. Kemp
Secretary of State
214 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.