Posted on 10/20/2020 3:13:47 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A group’s offer to pay churches $6 for every person they help to vote early this year does not violate any law although it might not be the “best practice” for getting out votes, Alabama’s elections chief said Monday.
The “New South Souls to the Polls Initiative” is paying churches a $6 contribution “for each documented early vote” to cover the expenses for outreach and transportation to help people vote early by absentee ballot, according to a letter mailed to pastors by Hank Sanders, a former longtime Democratic state senator from Selma who is organizing the effort. It’s unclear how many churches were offered the funds.
Sanders said the $6 is intended to compensate groups for transportation, outreach and time to help people vote early and is not tied to how a person will vote.
“It says specifically no person can be paid to vote. This is not about paying anybody to vote. It’s about trying to encourage people,” Sanders said in a phone interview.
The New South Coalition is a predominately Black political group that is dedicated to the “progressive ideals of freedom, justice and democracy.” Sanders said the effort is being run by the New South Alliance LLC, an entity dedicated to get-out-the-vote efforts.
Absentee ballot requests have skyrocketed since the state office loosened rules because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, a Republican, said he reviewed the situation and determined there is nothing nefarious as long as the $6 is not tied to voting a particular way.
“It’s not illegal. It’s certainly not a best practice,” Merrill said in a telephone interview.
“It does not say you are going to give it to someone to vote a particular way so there is nothing there that is illegal.”
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
666
New South Souls
—-
When did democrats get souls? The black churches don’t produce much shows they do any good.
I’ll take the 6.00, but I want a bucket of extra crispy!
The black preacher is down for it because he’s getting paid.
This whole separation of church and state thing.......
Imagine if an evangelical white, conservative group had tried this. It would’ve been front page fake news for weeks.
If only hunter would have included all of pops voters on his families dole
It’s called ‘walking around money’ and it’s a form of corruption that’s been happening in the black community for decades.
Isn’t this illegal?
I recall stories from high school history class where men would set up kegs of beer outside of polling places and get voters soused before voting while urging them to vote for their candidate.
He got his thirty pieces of silver.
Um...separation of church & state anybody???
It’s interesting that liberals banned prayer in schools, forced removal of 10 commandments, & crush any attempt for mere acknowledgement of God because of this lie of “separation”. Conservative candidates are not allowed to speak in churches. Liberals are.
For decades liberals have poisoned churches with godless socialist ideology. They use churches as their bully pulpit badgering people into subservience to the state.
Is there anything more anti-Christ?
So yeah...somebody explain this BS to me.
Oh...and if your priest/pastor is preaching any other than Jesus Christ, throw him out now. We do not have time for apostasy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.