Buying Votes

You've probably noticed the news story about the Sporting Goods store offering a raffle ticket to voters. The prize in the raffle is a long-gun or a pistol. Honestly it seems the prize is at the root of all the noise.

Leading the charge to shut this raffle down is none other than Georgia State Senator Vincent Fort who contends the raffle "runs afoul of a state law banning people and businesses from offering money or gifts in exchange for voting or registering to vote." To be fair, the State Attorney General agrees and his office has put a stop to shops offering free coffee and doughnuts to those showing proof that they voted.

And that is a good thing.

And it will be even better when it is applied consistently without regard to race, religion or party affiliation. Even it this means an end to "Vote and Vax".

So, the next time Brother Vinny or any others of his ilk, run a "register to vote" campaign offering "free transportation" the State Attorney General should move swiftly and deliberately to shut that operation down. Whether you value it at the cost of a MARTA trip or a taxi ride doesn't matter. You're in violation of the law.