Stacey Abrams supporters still enthusiastic as vote counting continues

It's been five days since Georgia residents hit the polls to elect Stacey Abrams, Brian Kemp, or Ted Metz as their new governor.

Demetria Irwin

Nov 11, 2018

Photo courtesy of the Stacey Abrams campaign.

It’s been five days since Georgia residents hit the polls to elect Stacey Abrams (Democrat), Brian Kemp (Republican) or Ted Metz (Libertarian) as their new governor and there is still no officially declared winner.

As of today, the Abrams campaign released the below vote count numbers:

Total Votes Cast: 3,929,886
Votes for Stacey Abrams: 1,916,931
Votes for Brian Kemp: 1,975,806
Votes for Ted Metz: 37,149
Votes to Make a Runoff: 21,727
Votes to Force a Recount: 19,383

According to the Abrams campaign there are still thousands of votes yet to be counted and as such, Stacey Abrams has not conceded the election, even though Brian Kemp has declared himself the winner and even resigned his post as Secretary of State just days ago. For months, various entities had called for Kemp to resign, seeing it as a conflict of interest for him to oversee his own gubernatorial campaign/election in his role as Secretary of State. Kemp resigned only after he felt confident that he won the gubernatorial election.

There are numerous allegations of voter suppression against Kemp, including the fact that he purged thousands of people from the voter rolls in the days and weeks leading up to the election because of a controversial “exact match” policy that prevents people from voting if the name on an ID and the name on the voting roll do not precisely match. That means a missing middle initial, for example, could get a voter kicked off the rolls. Also, 70% of those who were plucked off the voter rolls were Black. There were also reports of broken and outdated voting machines on election day.

Abrams has repeatedly said that she will not cease her campaign activities until every vote is counted. After meeting with voters who were frustrated with their election day experience, Abrams released the following statement:

“I am fighting to make sure our democracy works for and represents everyone who has ever put their faith in it. I am fighting for every Georgian who cast a ballot with the promise that their vote would count.

“Yesterday, I met with Tate, Cassandra, Nedghie, Angel, Surabhi, Cazembe, and Arnaud – Georgia voters from all walks of life who experienced difficulty casting their ballots or helped those who were having trouble. Whether they were first time voters, volunteers, or elected officials, they all felt dismayed and disillusioned by a democracy whose hurdles and failures made it nearly impossible to vote. Some were only able to vote through tenacity and sheer force of will. Many were left voiceless altogether.

“And they are not alone. Over the last few days, our Voter Protection Hotline has heard countless stories of Georgia voters who fought for their right to vote, but for whatever reason, were prevented from casting their ballot.

“We heard stories from voters who took time off work to vote, only to be turned away at their assigned polling precinct and every polling place they visited. Students and military service members who requested absentee ballots, but their ballots never arrived or their completed ballots were ‘lost in the mail.’ First time voters and long-time voters whose names were ‘no longer on the list.‘

“Their voices deserve to be heard. They deserve justice. And that is why we will continue this fight.

“Make no mistake: Our democracy should work for all of us, regardless of political leanings, race, income, or region. Voting is a right, not a privilege. It is fundamental to our democracy and to our Georgia, and I will fight every single day until our government – a government of the people, by the people, and for the people – works for all of us.”

Abrams’ determination to get every vote counted is the same message she had on election night when she addressed an enthusiastic ballroom of supporters at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta. Friends, family, celebrities, college classmates, and everyday voters cheered on Abrams as she explained her vision and theGrio was there. Watch the video below to see how the Abrams campaign spent election night.

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