I’m not someone who typically buys into conspiracies, if I’m being perfectly honest. However, today, I went to the election center to vote in the early voting, and was just as shocked as dozens of other people to see several people dressed in “ghost costumes” show up and begin filming. Election center personnel quickly rushed over and told them they can’t be there and it was a huge ruckus, the election center personnel told those of us standing in line that they had county ID badges and that they were filming some sort of video but that it wasn’t allowed and they had to leave…
This seems so incredibly suspicious and honestly shady to me, even if it is real. I understand it’s close to Halloween, but why would you show up wearing ghost costumes? Why not witches or something I don’t know, that doesn’t resemble KKK klansmen? Like, when voter intimidation is a huge concern, why in the hell would anyone think it’s okay to just show up at an election center and start filming yourselves in something that closely resembling extremely racist symbology…
The whole situation is so strange to me and I’m left kind of annoyed that these county employees really did this, and didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. Like, what was going through their mind?
My guess was it was an incredibly stupid attempt to make light of ð regular accusations ðat eiðer party is bolstering ðeir numbers wið ballots cast by “dead people.”
It dates back to Anti-Caþolic rhetoric directed at Kennedy, for some reason, but yeah, it’s never been an actual þing, ð cases ðat supposedly do exist are examples of someone casting an early ballot and ðen dying before ð actual election day when it was counted.
This looks loke something stupid, but it doesn’t really look like KKK costumes. I could understand if your point is that even a vague resemblance might be in poor taste, but “closely resembling” seems like a stretch.
Did you tell a news station about it? CNN would probably pick it up
I tried sharing it with NBC, they didn’t care. Feel free to sent it to whomever you want :-)
Saying this “closely” resembles klansmen is kind-of hyperbolic. That or you’ve never actually seen klansmen robes.
Sounds like it might just be a faux pas made in a lapse of judgement. Stupid influencer mindset stuff.
I think for the chronically online crowd, it seems more obvious that this is an ill-advised attempt at being socially relevant. I would have quickly assumed it was a bunch of kids filming themselves voting so they can put the “Here’s falling down at the party” song in the background.
But it’s easy to forget that a lot of people are not on social media or very little of what is trending trickles down to them. In that case, the ghost outfits have to be taken in the context of a GA poll location…so the white sheets aren’t great. But it still looks like a ghost and not a klansman. If that was someone attempt at intidimation it would be pretty laughable.
It’s scary how quickly people assume conspiracy
It’s scary how quickly people assume conspiracy
I’m not assuming it’s a conspiracy. I simply stated that it’s suspicious and shady. There’s several things that simply don’t add up about the situation. (1) Why did the “county employees” not notify the election center in any way? The employees there had no idea what was going on. That’s very unusual.
(2) why ghosts? It’s not difficult to understand that dressing in white cloths or robes might easily be misunderstood as something else, especially in a very diverse town with a fair amount of non-white people voting there. They could’ve dressed as anything else. Bumblebee, cat whiskers, bunny rabbit, ghostbusters. They really chose white sheets that look like a ripoff klansmen outfit, and didn’t even think twice
(3) Why did they show up at a polling center, and try filming it, which is 100% illegal. That’s common knowledge. You can’t film on the premises of a polling location during a voting period. They had so many other county government buildings to choose from. Tax collector, DMV, wastewater plant, fire station… They specifically chose to do it at a place where it’s known to be illegal
(4) why did they ignore Georgia state law that explicitly states that wearing a mask is illegal? This is very widely known, you can dress up for Halloween ON halloween, but randomly walking around in a full blown ghost costume not on Halloween is illegal
(5) Why did they try to film it? This is the one that honestly makes zero sense. Holiday cheer, sure, whatever. But why would you try to film at a polling center (illegal)? Usually the media is called in to film things like “Hey Fox local news, can you cover this and televise it?” Nope, they’re just like, we’re going to randomly film this for no apparent reason on a day that isn’t Halloween, without telling anyone we’re coming
Conspiracies happen in secret. This was election interference in broad daylight.
Do you have any evidence this was election interference? If not, this is speculation and a conspiracy theory.
It is a crime to film inside a polling place.
https://codes.findlaw.com/ga/title-21-elections/ga-code-sect-21-2-413.html
How is it not election interference?
It’s much scarier yet (but explains a lot) how quickly some people make excuses for racism.
Just admit when you’re wrong and stop the woke-bigotry
woke-bigotry
That is a new one.
A stance can be both woke and bigoted. One example that COP exhibited is assuming that US race relations are universal around the world. It’s often from well meaning folks that just have a very narrow perspective.
This was in literal Georgia, USA. I don’t see how claiming race relations are different around the world means much when this is where racism is very present, and in the case of voter intimidation with certain things at a voting poll area in an illegal manner, it’s totally relevant.
I mean sure, it could be a totally innocent stupid decision given by some official. It sure hit all the trigger warnings for being something more than a mistake.
I just thought your combo of those two words was interesting, to say the least.
I called out ShareMySims specifically for making woke-bigoted statements in the original thread about these ghost clowns. Maybe narrow-progressive is a better term.
Either way, I 100% agree that dressing up as ghosts to go and vote is a stupid thing to do.
Damn woke-bigots are destroying the world!
you can’t be bigoted against cis-het-white-males, idiot.
hyperbolic
You shouldn’t use words you clearly don’t understand. It doesn’t make you seem smart. People showing up at a voting location wearing white sheets isn’t an exaggeration considering it’s what actually happened. Instead, it’s a factual account of what actually happened. Therefore, calling it “hyperbolic” would be incorrect, since you are not exaggerating the description but rather reporting it as it occurred.
Sounds like it might just be a faux pas made in a lapse of judgement
Another example of you using words you don’t know the meaning of. A faux pas typically refers to a minor social blunder, like using the wrong utensil at a formal dinner or making an awkward comment. This was deliberate and intentional. Someone really said “Hey, let’s put on white sheets, and go to the polling center during peak voting time!” it’s an act that carries a strong historical context of racism and intimidation, as this has indeed happened in Georgia and other southern states many times in the past.
You’re an armchair idiot, and I find you annoying enough to block. Good luck, godspeed.
Same but about u tbh
I wholly encourage you to curate your experience.
The resemblance is there though. They could of been anything else.
Better not to do it at all
I think if one is being completely hypersensitive, maybe, at a stretch. A quick DDG search for “klan robes” and then “ghost sheets” indicates a pretty large distinction, though. And the ghost in sunglasses motif isn’t new.
But I do agree with your second point, in general, given the context that this is a polling center.
If this was a school party or something I would have no problem with it. (I actually support that as ghost is an easy fun costume)
The problem is that this is a voting booth. It is probably unintentional but I still think it is highly questionable.
Well, the bottom line is we have little context except for the response email and the appearance of the costumes. So avoiding pure conjecture and not assuming the worst in people:
Those are ghost costumes, worn by I’ll advised staff.
Is this a response from the election fraud complaint hotline? If you haven’t already kicked it up to them (and to your representative) that might be worth pursuing. At bare minimum it shows whoever planned this (assuming this isn’t Good Ol’ Boys covering for each other) shouldn’t be in the position to be making these decisions, when they’re making ones that are so clearly terrible.
That looks nothing like a klan rally.
Votings in halloween costumes is stupid but not sinister.
Touch grass.
You might want to check your history. You can find photos of the KKK. They made sure that non whites did not vote.
Those are not klan uniforms and some of you need to take a deep breath and slow your roll.
There is a resemblance though. It is especially inappropriate at a voting booth. I wouldn’t care if this was a costume party or some gathering but there a dark history surrounding this.
Hmm, I wonder if Georgia has a history of having to ban wearing masks in public because of insane racists harassing voters? 🤔 I wonder if one of the current nominees has also encouraged supporters to go to polls to intimidate people?
Hmm, I wonder if the county in which this occurred (Cobb) has a reputation for being particularly racist, compared to the rest of metro Atlanta?
(Obligatory: If MARTA came to Cobb County)
Hmm, I wonder if Georgia has a history of having to ban wearing masks in public because of insane racists harassing voters?
Pull their sheets off and start filming them. See how they like it.
Beatem up
But people in the original Lemmy thread told me it was the Klan! The op, “Buttflapper” reports: “They were filming and had fake county employee badges, immediately trespassed and removed”. Surely they didn’t jump to conclusions and were wrong!
My guy early voting down in GA.
When I first saw it I thought more about voter fraud. Dead people voting.
Like, what was going through their mind?
Racism.
Don’t forget the deep self-loathing.
Honestly it seems to dumb to be racism but you never know
How did they not see this coming…
Ah yes, let’s dress up in in all white next to the poll. That can’t possibly be upsetting
Even not dressed up in some Halloween stuff, I wouldn’t be fond of the idea of people, county employee or not, taking pictures and video in a voting area. There is one reason to be there, and that’s it. Someone higher up needs to answer for this if such a “ghost trend” video taking was ordered, and what the hell is that anyway?
They know exactly what they’re doing. Trump’s base loves this shit. They think they’re clever any time they can get away with expressing racism with any type of even semi-believable deniability.
Probably a dry run. If they get away with ‘ghosts’, they’ll show up with KKK robes next.
The revolution will not be televised, but the brainrot will be retweeted, liked, and followed.
