Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024
Good morning! We start today with the hope that you’re safe and dry. After that, we have a look at the meaning of two presidential candidate rallies — one in Savannah that has been postponed and the other in Atlanta over the weekend. We then look at the continuing problems with the state’s portal for removing voter registrations and wind up with five things for your radar. Questions, comments, or story ideas? You can reach me at craig.thecurrent@gmail.com
NEWS: POLITICS
‘Game has changed’
Friday’s scheduled rally by Kamala Harris in Savannah has been postponed due to Tropical Storm Debby, a campaign official told The Current yesterday. “We’re pushing to reschedule it,” the official said.
There’s good reason to believe that will be an earnest effort, for Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said the decision by the likely Democratic presidential nominee to hold a rally in Savannah in the first place illustrates the “strategic importance” that the city and Coastal Georgia hold nationally. Johnson didn’t spell out exactly what that meant but voting results from the last election suggest an answer.
At first glance, Savannah seems like an unlikely stop for Harris in Georgia. Coastal Georgia’s vote total made up only 6.5% of the statewide vote in 2020, with Donald Trump defeating Joe Biden by 55% to 43% of the ballots. In that election, Biden won only two of the region’s 14 whole counties — Chatham and Liberty.
So, what’s changed? Part of the answer may be that there are more votes in play in Coastal Georgia. In Chatham County alone, as of April 24 there are 231,019 voters registered to vote, up from 200,388 registered four years ago.
With Biden deciding to step away from the White House after one term following his catastrophic debate performance in June and Harris becoming the party’s nominee, Georgia has again become a statistical dead heat.
That means that this November’s elections will likely be decided by a very small margin and, as the cliché goes, every vote will count, especially in the states on Harris’ original itinerary this week: Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada.
As Johnson himself said following Biden’s decision and Harris’ rise, “the game has changed.”
NEWS: POLITICS
‘Disloyalty’
It was a stunning display of venom aimed at Georgia’s Republican governor by the party’s presidential nominee.
On Saturday, at a campaign rally in Atlanta, Donald Trump referred to Brian Kemp at least twice as “little Brian.” He described him as a “very average governor.” He said, “Atlanta is like a killing field, and your governor ought to get off his ass and do something about it.”
Most bitterly of all, Trump accused Kemp, state first lady Marty Kemp and Secretary of State Brian Raffensperger of “disloyalty” — in particular, the governor and secretary of state for failing to secure election victory in Georgia in 2020 and accusing them of “doing everything possible to make 2024 difficult for Republicans to win.”
Reaction in Coastal Georgia and elsewhere have been both swift and illustrative of the divisions within the state GOP, as Republicans struggle over what loyalty to Trump means — even if it entails withering, personal criticism of the state’s top elected Republican official and his wife, The Current’s Craig Nelson reports.
NEWS: VOTING
‘Attractive target’
Georgia’s recently unveiled online portal for canceling voter registrations continues to draw controversy.
Last week, The Current’s Maggie Lee reported that due to oversights by IT workers during a test phase, vital data such as driver’s license information or partial Social Security numbers was visible to malicious actors.
On Sunday, the nonprofit investigative newsroom ProPublica reported that users of the portal had unsuccessfully attempted to cancel the voter registrations of Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Rome).
Yesterday, ProPublica reported yet another flaw in the state’s voter cancellation portal. “This one would allow any user of the portal to bypass the screen that requires a driver’s license number and submit the cancellation request without it,” the group’s report said.
Lee said yesterday that until the state secured the portal, it risked more abuse of the system:
“Every website on the internet attracts the attention of bad actors who can attack at scale. Personal information is always an attractive target. For some bad actors, messing with voting is, too. So that’s why defenses need to be very good.”
5 things for your radar
- State Senate Republicans announced yesterday the passing of Sen. Sheila McNeill who, it said, “dedicated her life to serving the Golden Isles.” McNeill represented District 3 from 2021 until 2023. She was 81.
- State School Superintendent Richard Woods says parts of the Advanced Placement African American Studies course violated the state’s “divisive concepts” law.
- The McIntosh Republican Party will host a meet-and-greet with sheriff candidate Chris Mitchell and incumbent state Rep. Buddy DeLoach this Thursday, Aug. 8, at 6 p.m. at The Fish Dock, 1398 Sapelo Ave. NE, in Crescent.
- Skidaway Island Democrats will host a forum on voter protection on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m. at the Landings Association, 600 Landings Way, in Savannah. Featured guests include Cecilia Ugarte Baldwin, Liz Barrett, and Carter Hamby.
- The Chatham County Republican Party will sponsor a forum, “How Chatham County Elections Are Manipulated,” on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Montgomery Athletic Association, 10155 Ferguson Ave., Savannah. Featured guests will be Kim P. Brooks, Helen Strahl, Bob Coovert, and Lori Tullos.
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Trump’s attacks on Kemp, his wife reverberate across party
GOP’s presidential nominee went on to accuse Kemp, state first lady Marty Kemp and Secretary of State Brian Raffensperger of “disloyalty” — the governor and secretary of state, in particular, for failing to secure election victory in Georgia in 2020 and accusing them of “doing everything possible to make 2024 difficult for Republicans to win.”
‘A terrible vulnerability’: Cybersecurity researcher discovers yet another flaw in Georgia’s voter cancellation portal
The flaw would have allowed anyone to submit a voter registration cancellation request for any Georgian using their name, date of birth and county of residence — information that is easily discoverable online.
Georgia voter cancellation portal requires second round of security fixes
Oversights by IT workers during a test phase meant that for at least two days vital data such as driver’s license information or partial Social Security numbers would have been visible to malicious actors.
TS Debby: Find updates for your county here
The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a “historic” rain storm for the next several days. Cities and counties throughout Coastal Georgia, plus the State of Georgia, have declared a State of Emergency. The Current staff is keeping track of emergency information and passing it to you. Click on your county below to get updated info. […]
Savannah’s aging stormwater system braces for Tropical Storm Debby
July’s intense rainfall prompted targeted maintenance in Savannah, with crews focused on finding blockages, especially in areas that flooded unexpectedly.
Check here: Tropical weather resources for Coastal Georgia
Bookmark these resources to keep up-to-date on expected storm impacts in your county.
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