Latest news with #votingrights
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Staunch election denier appointed to Georgia county's board of elections
An Atlanta-area county has appointed a staunch election denier, with a history of challenging voter registrations, to the county's board of registration and elections, a pivotal position to cast doubt on the results of future elections. DeKalb county's Republican committee nominated Gail Lee and a second Republican activist, but the nomination of William Henderson was rejected last week by the chief judge of the DeKalb county superior court, Shondeana Morris, after a letter campaign against the two promoted by the county's Democratic committee and voting rights activists. Lee has challenged the registration of hundreds of voters in DeKalb County since the 2020 election, beginning her efforts after Donald Trump's narrow loss to Joe Biden in 2020. Lee told CBS News in December 2023 that she still believed Trump won, and attended a 2022 conference in Georgia hosted by the Election Integrity Network – a 2020 election denialist group linked to the Trump campaign. 'Putting a known election denier who has repeatedly tried to remove voters from the rolls on the DeKalb county elections board is a slap in the face to DeKalb voters,' Kristin Nabers, Georgia state director for the voting rights advocacy organization All Voting is Local, said in a statement. 'Lee is the architect of mass voter challenges against her neighbors in DeKalb county,' she added. 'Time and time again, she has attempted to strip Georgians of their right to vote and perpetuated a stream of lies about our elections and the hardworking officials who administer them. Those who repeatedly push lies about voting and support dangerous attempts to overturn the results should have no say over our elections.' Lee did not return a call and text seeking comment. About 370,000 of DeKalb county's 500,000 registered voters cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election, and Kamala Harris won 82% of them, representing about one in eight votes she won in the state. The county's Republican and Democratic parties each nominate two people to serve on the county's elections board in four-year terms. The fifth member is named by the county's chief superior court judge. In a letter explaining her rejection of Henderson, Morris cited 'over 200 pieces of correspondence from the public' as well as his public statements and 'an ongoing lawsuit filed by Mr. Henderson against the board.' Henderson is also a prolific challenger of voter registrations in DeKalb county. In 2024, Henderson filed a lawsuit in superior court alleging the DeKalb county board of registration and elections violated the law by refusing to consider challenges to voters' eligibility within 90 days of the election. Morris cited the suit as a conflict creating an impediment to his appointment. 'I do not believe that appointing Mr. Henderson to the board would further the goals of ensuring that elections are credible and trustworthy in the eyes of the public,' Morris wrote. 'Rather, I am concerned that his appointment would do the opposite, as he has already sought to do through his public statements in the past.' Henderson disagreed with Morris's decision, describing his legal action as a writ of mandamus and not a lawsuit. Asked if he believed the 2020 election had been fairly conducted, Henderson said: 'The 2020 election happened five years ago and it's not anything that we should be concerned with right now.' He added that asking the question at all was indicative of bias. 'My whole reason for being involved in this is to try and make sure that our voter roll is accurate, concise, legal and clean,' Henderson said. He characterized the opposition to his nomination as 'manufactured' by Democrats and the League of Women Voters through a social media campaign. 'I don't think those 200 letters were relevant.'
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Staunch election denier appointed to Georgia county's board of elections
An Atlanta-area county has appointed a staunch election denier, with a history of challenging voter registrations, to the county's board of registration and elections, a pivotal position to cast doubt on the results of future elections. DeKalb county's Republican committee nominated Gail Lee and a second Republican activist, but the nomination of William Henderson was rejected last week by the chief judge of the DeKalb county superior court, Shondeana Morris, after a letter campaign against the two promoted by the county's Democratic committee and voting rights activists. Lee has challenged the registration of hundreds of voters in DeKalb County since the 2020 election, beginning her efforts after Donald Trump's narrow loss to Joe Biden in 2020. Lee told CBS News in December 2023 that she still believed Trump won, and attended a 2022 conference in Georgia hosted by the Election Integrity Network – a 2020 election denialist group linked to the Trump campaign. 'Putting a known election denier who has repeatedly tried to remove voters from the rolls on the DeKalb county elections board is a slap in the face to DeKalb voters,' Kristin Nabers, Georgia state director for the voting rights advocacy organization All Voting is Local, said in a statement. 'Lee is the architect of mass voter challenges against her neighbors in DeKalb county,' she added. 'Time and time again, she has attempted to strip Georgians of their right to vote and perpetuated a stream of lies about our elections and the hardworking officials who administer them. Those who repeatedly push lies about voting and support dangerous attempts to overturn the results should have no say over our elections.' Lee did not return a call and text seeking comment. About 370,000 of DeKalb county's 500,000 registered voters cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election, and Kamala Harris won 82% of them, representing about one in eight votes she won in the state. The county's Republican and Democratic parties each nominate two people to serve on the county's elections board in four-year terms. The fifth member is named by the county's chief superior court judge. In a letter explaining her rejection of Henderson, Morris cited 'over 200 pieces of correspondence from the public' as well as his public statements and 'an ongoing lawsuit filed by Mr. Henderson against the board.' Henderson is also a prolific challenger of voter registrations in DeKalb county. In 2024, Henderson filed a lawsuit in superior court alleging the DeKalb county board of registration and elections violated the law by refusing to consider challenges to voters' eligibility within 90 days of the election. Morris cited the suit as a conflict creating an impediment to his appointment. 'I do not believe that appointing Mr. Henderson to the board would further the goals of ensuring that elections are credible and trustworthy in the eyes of the public,' Morris wrote. 'Rather, I am concerned that his appointment would do the opposite, as he has already sought to do through his public statements in the past.' Henderson disagreed with Morris's decision, describing his legal action as a writ of mandamus and not a lawsuit. Asked if he believed the 2020 election had been fairly conducted, Henderson said: 'The 2020 election happened five years ago and it's not anything that we should be concerned with right now.' He added that asking the question at all was indicative of bias. 'My whole reason for being involved in this is to try and make sure that our voter roll is accurate, concise, legal and clean,' Henderson said. He characterized the opposition to his nomination as 'manufactured' by Democrats and the League of Women Voters through a social media campaign. 'I don't think those 200 letters were relevant.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, July 2nd: On overseas voting, AI, and Wimbledon
Sir, – As an Irish citizen living abroad, I am compelled to voice my frustration over the denial of my fundamental right to vote for our president (' Irish presidential election must be the last to exclude voters in North, Dáil hears, ' June 25th). This situation not only undermines my democratic rights but also makes me feel like a second-class citizen. Living outside Ireland, many of us maintain strong ties to our homeland – our family, heritage and interests are intertwined with the future of Ireland. Yet, when it comes to the time to participate in the selection of our president, we are excluded from the process that shapes our nation's future. This exclusion is not just a deficit in democracy but it is a significant gap in the recognition of our diaspora's contributions and voices as citizens. Voting is the cornerstone of democracy. It is not just a right, but a profound responsibility that connects citizens to their government and Ireland regardless of where they reside. The issues that affect Ireland – be it economic policy, social justice, or healthcare – also resonate deeply with us living abroad or in the North. We deserve the opportunity to have our voices heard and influence who gets to represent the entire Irish nation, including our diaspora. READ MORE I urge the Irish Government to plan for the referendum and to reconsider this exclusion and ensure that all Irish citizens, no matter where they reside, have the right to vote in presidential elections. It is time to recognise that our global community has a stake in and will play a huge role in Ireland's future on the world's stage. – Yours, etc, CIARÁN SCALLY, Oakland, California. Value of the Hpat Sir, – The question about the value of the Health Professions Admissions Test or Hpat (' Aptitude test downgraded by medical schools over 'gaming' , '' July 1st) is a timely one, as we are now seeing doctors reach consultant positions who were selected using it as part of their criteria for university entry. I suspect though that the scale of the problem is underestimated by the article. The idea that one cannot prepare for the Hpat is long debunked. Speaking to a parent earlier this week, I was told of an outlay somewhere between ¤4,000-¤5,000 on preparing for it, which had paid off with steady improvement over the last two years in repeated assessments. Almost every medical student now describes similar intense preparations, with demonstrable progress over time. It therefore clearly favours the more affluent student. Courses, online teaching, and subscription phone apps are available. Writing as a medical consultant who has interviewed many hundreds of other doctors for a range of posts, I have seen a plethora of CVs which list Hpat results among other achievements. There seems to be little if any correlation with performance in the job, with individuals in the top few per cent sometimes proving outstanding and other times dropping out of the career altogether. I have rarely heard anyone in the profession defend it as a predictor of performance. The more complex question to consider is of whether it's possible to determine a person's aptitude for medicine. It is such a multifaceted career that almost any type of mindset can find a role. The optimum mentalities required to be a psychiatrist, medical statistician, anaesthesiologist, general practitioner or pathologist must surely differ. Similarly, there are areas that require exceptional manual dexterity and areas that require little, if any. The burden of proof must lie with those who advocate or run this source of extra pressure on students to show its value. An assessment of those who first took the exam in its early years, around 2009-10, could be done now. If it does not show a meaningful benefit to patients or society from selecting medical students in this way, surely it should be dropped? It is costing students, or their parents, millions of euro annually, adding to pressure on young people and limiting access to a profession to the better off. These realities require serious justification. – Yours, etc, BRIAN O'BRIEN, Kinsale, Co Cork. Disadvantaging students Sir, – Am I correct in thinking that an additional 4.500 pupils sat the Leaving Certificate this year? That pupils will be disadvantaged regarding inflated grades attributed to previous years? And now, on top of all of that, the Government has announced that they are increasing the administrative fees from €2,000 up to €3,000? One would be forgiven for thinking that this cohort of students are strongly disliked by our current Government. – Yours, etc, CIARA O'REGAN, Killarney, Co Kerry. Imposter syndrome Sir, – 'I was kind of getting past my imposter syndrome, but it's come charging back now.' This was a comment from multi award-winning author, Donal Ryan, on discovering that he had won the prestigious Orwell Prize for Political Fiction for his novel Heart, Be at Peace. Those words, coming from such a talented and successful author, in an era where entitlement appears to be the order of the day, were admirable and refreshing. It can be somewhat nauseating to listen to people who subtly or vehemently convey to all and sundry the notion that the world continuously revolves around them. Wouldn't the world be a much better place if, like Donal, more of us parked our enlarged egos and sense of entitlement? – Yours, etc, PAT McLOUGHLIN, Co Limerick. Fintan's family and AI connection Sir, – Fintan O'Toole writes eloquently about the 'hallucinations' that AI has produced about his personal life (' I've had more wives than Henry VIII. It's news to me ,' July 1st). Large Language Models (LLMs) compose their 'facts' based on probabilities rather than certainties and there is no second layer of fact-checking that journalists, scientists and others concerned with the truth might expect . However, their onslaught is not inevitable. Reputable sources such as The Irish Times do not need to offer up their texts to AI's relentless harvesters. Technical means exist to block their crawlers or to trap them in an infinite hall of mirrors. Legal means exist to demand compensation or removal of illicitly sourced content. On a personal level, we can remove our data from those platforms that harvest it to produce AI slop engines. The future is what we make it and we do not have to consent to dwell in the afterlife of fact. – Yours, etc, RONAN McHUGH, Copenhagen, Denmark. Sir, – Reading Fintan O'Toole's tale of his algorithmically invented family, I couldn't help but feel left out. As a bald, six-foot former geography teacher with just one wife and no shadowy past, I clearly haven't given artificial intelligence enough material to work with. Still, if it's handing out fictional lives, I wouldn't say no to a brief spell as a jazz pianist or the forgotten third Gallagher brother. – Yours, etc, ENDA CULLEN, Armagh. Ass and car t economics Sir, – Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has announced that the design of State infrastructure henceforth 'will prioritise cost and efficiency over design standards and aesthetics' as a cost-saving measure. This decision is obviously based on the intellectual foundations of the 'ass and cart' school of economics which argues that if ass and carts could fly they should be used instead of expensive aeroplanes full of unnecessary well designed fittings. While the children's hospital is not complete, we are fortunate that the outer skin, designed with a great emphasis on aesthetics, is complete. Otherwise, we might be confronted with a hospital covered in farmyard corrugated iron sheeting. – Yours, etc, JAMES WRYNN, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Contactless travel Sir, – I am perfectly fine with contactless travel (Letters, June 30th) if it includes not being contacted by commuters' backpacks and mobile phones without headphones. – Yours, etc, ULTAN Ó BROIN, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Hacked off by airport drop-offs Sir, – When dropping off family members at Dublin Airport this morning (Monday, June 30th), I encountered the usual congestion and delay caused by people using the drop-off area at Terminal 1 to await and pick up arriving passengers. I cannot understand why the airport police or other authorised personnel are not deployed to put a stop to this practice. Those of us who abide by the drop-off rules are delayed and inconvenienced by a selfish minority who should be moved on and directed to the short-term car park at the relevant terminal. The chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has rightly been very vocal in recent times about planning shortcomings and other matters which affect the development and smooth operation of the airport. Perhaps he could now look at this issue which affects many airport users every day? On several occasions during the past few years, I have complained about this by email to DAA customer service. I have always received an automated acknowledgement, but never a substantive reply. I will do likewise about today's experience, but like St Paul writing to the Corinthians I am unlikely to get an answer. – Yours, etc, CYRIL McINTYRE, Celbridge, Co Kildare. Irish Rail and bikes Sir, – Why is Irish Rail so bike unfriendly? In the past all trains had a brake or guards' van where bulky items of luggage and parcels, and sometimes even livestock, were carried. Nowadays, it is only the 'mark 4' trains, which only run every second train, on the Cork-Dublin line, which have such vans. The advantage of the guards' van is that the bicycle can be wheeled on to the train and tied to a strap to prevent it from moving. This operation does not require any heavy lifting. The alternative, as provided by Irish Rail on the bulk of its other services, is the provision of two bike spaces located behind the seats in a passenger carriage. The design of these bike spaces is that the cyclist must perform a herculean type of manoeuvre to lift the back wheel of the bike into a rack on the ground while the front wheel is inserted into a rack which is about five feet off the ground. The result of carrying out this exercise a couple of times is shoulder pain for about a week. In Denmark and Sweden and other continental countries, full bicycle carriages are provided on trains which allows ease of wheeling the bike on to the train and storing it, in a level position, thus obviating the risk of sciatica or frozen shoulder. – Yours, etc, TIM BRACKEN, Cork. A double fault with Wimbledon Sir – Surely some other image could have been used to show the heat at Wimbledon yesterday (July 1st) rather than the photograph used of Leylah Fernandez, 'dripping' with sweat. Not very edifying, not very kind. – Yours , etc, ROSARY COX, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin. Sir, – It's strawberries and Pimm's time again at Wimbledon. Two weeks of great tennis. However, it's just not quite the same without linespeople calling 'fault'. What a shame. – Yours, etc, LAURA O'MARA, Co Dublin. Bringing the GPO to book Sir, – Like many people I have huge concerns about the future plans for the iconic GPO on O'Connell Street, which is not only one of Ireland's most important historic buildings but also has huge cultural significance to our nation and its foundation and Ireland's independence. Dublin City Council has for many years been talking about opening a large new main Dublin city library on Parnell Square. Now an ideal opportunity has arisen to locate Dublin's main city library right in the heart of Dublin in the GPO, in this city of books and literature. This would immediately revitalise O'Connell Street and help rejuvenate this part of the city. The library would be used by Dubliners and visitors of all ages as it is so accessible with buses and the Luas lines stopping beside it. The modest 1916 exhibition that already exists could be scaled up to tell this vitally important story and attract many additional visitors. Perhaps it could also provide a dedicated 1916 research area. There could be a bright children's section of the library to encourage all young Dubliners to read, study spaces, an array of event and exhibition spaces and even a small theatre like in Dún Laoghaire's Lexicon Library. A new city library in the GPO is an exciting prospect and one that I believe would work well and satisfy many people's concerns. The existing retail premises on the Henry Street side would be retained and the offices vacated by An Post could be repurposed for use by other companies and organisations. Many of the brave men and women who fought in 1916 were teachers, writers, poets and artists and this would be a fitting tribute to their legacy. All around the O'Connell Street area there are vacant commercial properties and we have watched with dismay how long it has taken for the old Clerys and Debenham's buildings to come back into use. We cannot let this happen to the GPO. It must be preserved and protected and its vital role in Ireland's history appreciated. – Yours, etc, MARITA CONLON McKENNA, Dublin.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
The liberal elite's maddest brainwave yet: give babies the vote
As we know, Sir Keir Starmer is planning to give the vote to 16 year-olds. According to some radical thinkers, however, that's simply not good enough. Because they say we should give the vote to all children – including babies. This fascinating proposal was examined at the weekend by the The Guardian – which concluded that the arguments for it are 'hard to refute'. It cited John Wall, a political philosopher, who thinks it's 'unjust that up to a third of the population [is] excluded from the democratic process'. It also cited Clémentine Beauvais, an education researcher, who says children are good at asking important questions about major issues, such as 'war', 'money' and 'meat'. And it cited Harry Pearse, another researcher, who believes that five-year-old voters would add 'some healthy chaos' to 'the system'. Surprisingly, though, the Guardian overlooked what is surely the main reason why so many progressives are eager to enfranchise children: they'd overwhelmingly vote for Left-wing parties. Children, after all, are natural socialists. From birth they're provided with food, housing, clothing and much else, without having to work or pay for it. So of course they're attracted to an ideology which promises to extend this arrangement into adulthood. The Guardian also missed a key argument against giving children the vote, which is that it would undermine the mantra of 'stranger danger'. Come election time, politicians would be constantly lurking outside playparks and primary schools, in the hope of buttering up infant voters with pledges of later bedtimes and free sweets on the NHS. Still, perhaps this peculiar debate explains why Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has suddenly started urging us to have more babies. It's not about saving the economy and the NHS. It's about saving Labour, by producing millions of tiny Labour voters. Over the rainbow LGBTQIA+ Pride Month is sadly at an end. But don't despair. We've still got many, many other dates to look forward to in the calendar of inclusivity. Starting on Sunday, July 6, with Omnisexual Visibility Day. I must confess, the term 'omnisexuality' is a new one on me, but I presume it means having sex with absolutely everyone. I wonder what this group is planning to do to increase its 'visibility'. I hope it's just a march. Rather than, say, orgies in the street. Anyway, once that's over, it'll be International Non-Binary People's Day (July 14) – which heralds the start of Non-Binary Awareness Week (July 14-20). In the middle of which, it's International Drag Day (July 16). After that, we've got Bisexual Awareness Week (September 16-23), National Coming Out Day (October 11), International Pronouns Day (Oct 15), Asexual Awareness Week (Oct 19-25), Intersex Awareness Day (Oct 26), Transgender Parent Day (November 2), Intersex Day of Solidarity (Nov 8), Transgender Awareness Week (Nov 13-19), Trans Day of Remembrance (Nov 20) and Pansexual Pride Day (December 8). Then, once you've got your diary for next year, remember to pencil in LGBTQ History Month (February), Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (Feb 15-21), International Day of Trans Visibility (March 31), International Asexuality Day (April 6), Trans History Week (May 5-11), International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (May 17), Agender Pride Day (May 19) and Pansexual Visibility Day (May 24). Followed, just a week later, by LGBTQIA+ Pride Month 2026. If you can't wait till then, though, not to worry – because nowadays, there are local LGBTQIA+ Pride events literally every weekend between April and October. This coming weekend, for example, it's Caerphilly Pride, Cleveland Pride, Fife Pride, Hartlepool Pride, London Pride, Macclesfield Pride, Redruth Pride, Sherborne Pride, Tavistock Pride and Ulverston Pride. Perhaps we should enjoy them while we still can. According to a report in the Independent, Donald Trump's 'assault on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion' has led to some UK Pride events facing an alarming fall in corporate sponsorship. So, if we wish to applaud LGBTQIA+ activists next year, there may be only several hundred opportunities. Satire is dead Kneecap, the balaclava-clad Belfast rap group, have insisted that controversial comments they've made during concerts – such as, 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory' – should not be taken literally. When onstage, they explained in an interview on Saturday, they're 'playing characters', and any such comments are purely 'satirical'. All I can say is: Lucy Connolly must be kicking herself. If only she'd thought to try that defence. 'You see, Your Honour, when I go on social media I'm playing a character, and my tweets about asylum hotels are purely satirical…' 'Way of the World' is a twice-weekly satirical look at the headlines while aiming to mock the absurdities of the modern world. It is published at 6am every Tuesday and Saturday
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge voids Virginia Beach district-based election system, but not results
VIRGINIA BEACH — A Circuit Court judge ruled Monday that the district-based election system Virginia Beach imposed to comply with federal voting rights law is void. According to the ruling, that's because the General Assembly did not vote to pass corresponding legislation that would have officially changed the city's charter. Attorneys said Monday's summary judgement, means that the '10-1' system used in the past two local election cycles is not permitted unless and until the state legislature passes legislation that amends the city charter to that effect. However, the ruling applies only to future elections — the results of the previous two elections that used the 10-1 system are upheld. The next City Council elections are in the fall of 2026. Circuit Judge Randall D. Smith issued the ruling from the bench. Former council member Linwood Branch and other residents initially brought the suit last summer, saying the city had illegally removed the three at-large seats. 'We're very pleased with today's ruling,' said Brandan Goodwin, the attorney representing Branch and the other plaintiffs. 'We think the judge got it absolutely right when he found that City Council did not have the authority to abolish those at-large seats.' The City Council adopted an ordinance in 2023 instituting the '10-1' election system in conjunction with the city's 10-year redistricting measure, which meant that Virginia Beach residents across 10 districts vote for a City Council member only in the district they live in, plus the mayor. But the city's charter provides for a 7-3-1 system, where residents vote for a council member in one of seven districts where they reside, plus three at-large members and the mayor. The General Assembly passed legislation in 2021 that requires, in localities with district-based election residency requirements, for members to be elected by voters who live in the district and not by voters from the locality at large. But subsequent attempts to change the city's charter have failed. The city's position is that there are not redistricting maps to be drawn that result in seven districts and comply with the state and federal Voting Rights Act, and Virginia Beach will continue to defend the 10-1 system until voters say otherwise. 'The current reality is that all the council members are determined duly elected, so this only has impact on the future,' said Chris Boynton, Virginia Beach's deputy city attorney. '(The ruling) is a disappointment certainly, but it doesn't change the immediate reality, which is everybody's looking to the referendum to see where this goes next.' In the meantime, Virginia Beach voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on how their elections should be conducted in November. A referendum on the ballot will pose the question: 'Should the method of city council elections set forth in the Virginia Beach City Charter be changed from a modified 7-3-1 system to a 10-1 system?' If the answer is yes, the Virginia Beach City Council can ask the state legislature — again — to pass legislation that would modify the charter to reflect the change. Because Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, the city cannot by itself amend the charter. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has historically vetoed similar legislation, citing the ongoing litigation. The voting system shake up came after a federal judge ruled in 2021 that the city's at-large voting system violated the federal 1965 Voting Rights Act because it 'denies Hispanics, African Americans and Asians equal access to the electoral and political process.' With the referendum on the horizon, that judge has indicated he could reopen the case. Kate Seltzer, (757)713-7881
