Early voting ends Friday!
If you haven’t voted yet, this Friday is the last day of early voting before Election Day on Nov. 5. As of Monday, early voting turnout is on par with 2020: Nearly 3 million Georgians have voted early in-person or by mail so far.
📷: Claire Becknell
ICYMI: Atlanta Civic Circle’s guide to ballot measures
If you read to the end of your ballot the same way we hope you do this newsletter, you’ll find two important constitutional amendments and a referundum. We’ve broken down all three statewide ballot questions into plain English, with the pros and cons, so you can make an informed decision.
STORY: Your guide to the 3 statewide ballot questions
For this week’s voter profile, Atlanta Civic Circle spoke to early voters in Cobb, Clayton and Fulton Counties about their top issues. We’ve got an extended profile at the bottom of this newsletter, and you can read them all here:
STORY: What’s motivating early voters this election?
Mind your deadlines
Remember, if you are voting by mail, your ballot must arrive by Election Day. The US Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot no later than a week before Election Day, so that’s today. You can also hand-deliver your mail-in ballot to your county elections office until 7 p.m. on Election Day.
The only exception to the absentee ballot cutoff of Nov. 5 is for ballots from military and overseas voters, which may arrive within three days of Election Day.
On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned polling location, which you can find on the My Voter Page. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Keep an eye out next week for an Election Day edition of Democracy Digest and for Atlanta Civic Circle’s Election Day live blog!
On the importance of independent media
On Sept. 30, my former colleague at the Phnom Penh Post, Cambodian journalist Mech Dara, was dragged out of his family’s car and arrested by military police officers without so much as a warrant. Dara, 36, who is one of the country’s last truly independent journalists, was thrown into a provincial prison and charged with “incitement” over some Facebook posts.
But in truth the arrest was retaliation for Dara’s reporting on human trafficking, where workers are subjected to forced labor in cyber-scam compounds. That resulted in trafficked people being freed and US Treasury Department sanctions against a wealthy Cambodian politician
They messed with the wrong journalist. Over the past three weeks, nearly 50 of Dara’s current and former colleagues around the world, including myself, mobilized behind the scenes and on social media to campaign for his release, by pressuring our governments to apply diplomatic pressure on Cambodia. Last week, a day after USAID administrator Samantha Powers visited Cambodia and raised Dara’s case with the country’s prime minister, Dara was released on bail.
He still faces unjust charges, but this partial victory shows that a free and independent press is a bipartisan American value that can still be fought for.
Which brings us to what’s been happening at two major US newspapers. The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times have made headlines in the past week after reports that their billionaire owners — Jeff Bezos and Patrick Soon-Shiong, respectively — prohibited their editorial boards from endorsing a presidential candidate. While there is rampant speculation as to why Bezos or Soon-Shiong overruled their papers’ editorial boards, the blowback has been significant, causing resignations and canceled subscriptions at both papers.
Whether it’s political influence, moneyed interests or government crackdowns, all are forces working against a free and independent press.
At Atlanta Civic Circle, our election coverage has eschewed the horse-race to instead focus on the policies that politicians espouse — and how they can impact the lives and rights of us all. As a non-partisan, non-profit news outlet, we are not beholden to billionaire owners. Our work is in service to the public.
Atlanta Civic Circle screens “War Game” with panel discussion
Last night, Atlanta Civic Circle hosted an engaging panel discussion following a screening of the powerful documentary “War Game.” The film set the stage for a conversation on safeguarding democracy — featuring unique insights from our panelists Kathleen Hamill, Chris Purdy, and Scot Turner.
Thank you to everyone who joined!
📷: Dominic McNear
VOTER PROFILE: RICHARD MITCHELL
Age: 72
Political affiliations: Conservative, leans independent
County: Clayton
Interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
What brought you to the polls?
I voted absentee, but I don’t trust the postal system anymore, with all the problems they’ve been having, so I just brought it [absentee ballot] in today.
Were there any specific local races you’ve been following?
No, mostly just the presidential race.
What is the most important issue for you?
The survival of the Constitution and security of the United States.
Do you align with a specific political party?
So, I’m conservative, but I’m not Republican. I’ve been more libertarian, but I think I’m more inclined to be independent now, because there is some good on this side and some good on that side. I’m just trying to get the right mix.
What are your thoughts on this election?
This election and the campaigning have been quite cutthroat. It’s a case of if you lean this way [politically], this person’s telling the truth and nothing but the truth – but on the other side, this person is nothing but lies and they’re horrible. So who’s telling the truth then?
Eight years ago, and four years ago, I was excited to vote, but this time I’m not excited about none of it. There was one thing that ticked me off on Facebook the other day. It was someone at Harris’s rally saying ‘Jesus is Lord’ and she told him that they’re at the wrong place. That does not sit right with me. [The hecklers were reacting to Harris expressing support for abortion rights. -Ed.]
Why are you unexcited this time around?
Even before Joe Biden dropped out, I wasn’t excited about any of it. It feels a bit repetitive. I think it’s more of a case this year of ‘I’m going to vote for this one, because I don’t like that one’ and it’s too negative. It just comes down to who’s telling the truth. There are laws in effect that say we call truth in advertising – why doesn’t that apply to politics? They’re advertising themselves, so truth in advertising should apply.
What do you wish more liberal or Democrat-leaning people understood about you and your life?
Actually, I say the same thing about both sides, because people on both sides say there’s nothing but lies. And that’s just got to stop. It’s just so prevalent now, and it’s really hard to figure out who to vote for.
For a lot of state races here in Georgia that are on my ballot – I think every one of them was a Democrat with no Republican challenger. There has to be a balance.
I think we need to fire all 535 members of Congress and start all over. I don’t believe it’s best for an entire government to be run by one side versus another. If one party has control it’s only great for the one party. That’s the reality of it right now, and it’s disheartening.