A group of Black senior citizens of Jefferson County, Georgia were told to remove themselves off of a bus on Monday after they were on their way to vote.
LaTosha Brown, a co-founder of Black Voters Matter, the organization that arranged for the bus said they were heading to the city of Louisville from a county-operated senior center when government officials told them to step off the bus.
“We knew it was an intimidation tactic,” Brown told the AJC. “It was really unnecessary. These are grown people.”
Brown said the Black Voters Matter obtained permission from the senior center, but a county clerk raised concerns about the event being politically driven. Adam Brett, a Jefferson County Administrator said the county deemed the voting trip as “political activity” which prompted the center’s director to tell the seniors to disembark.
(XX)110408_FIVEPOINTS_CFW- Phillip Cato of Denver studies the ballot while voting at Manuel High School. He says, “Okay, I was born in 1943- so I lived through many situations. I didn’t think this would happen in my lifetime. I voted for Obama because I think he raise up people both black and white… and mexican. I do respect McCain… he’s been through hell.”(Craig F. Walker/ The Denver Post) (Photo By Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Although Black Voters Matter is a non-partisan group, the event was helped organized by Jefferson County Democratic Party Chairwoman Diane Evans which is why the county government considered the event political, said Brett.
“Jefferson County administration felt uncomfortable with allowing senior center patrons to leave the facility in a bus with an unknown third party,” Brett added. “No seniors at the Jefferson County senior center were denied their right to vote.”
October 15 was the first day of early voting in the state of Georgia. The November election for governor includes Democrat Stacey Abrams and Republican Brian Kemp.
However, when the 40 senior citizens departed from the bus peacefully when they were ordered to get off. Despite the mayhem, they plan on finding another way to cast their ballots.
“The seniors were so resolved. They said: ‘We’re going to vote. Nobody’s going to stop us,'” said Brown. “It wasn’t the first time someone has denied them or tried to prevent them from voting.”
Evans, who attended the event, said it wasn’t political or did its organizers advocate for specific candidates. She claimed to have organized it as a private citizen and not as the chairwoman of the county’s Democratic Party.
“It was discouraging that they weren’t able to vote,” Evans expressed. ” “When they’re suppressing votes, they’re going to come up with any kind of excuse about what your problem is.”
