Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) argues that waiting in long lines to cast a vote is not voter suppression, but the newly installed metal detectors outside the House chamber are.
Speaking on the House floor on Tuesday, Greene said, “While we’re talking about voter suppression and long lines, I’d like to point out there’s real voter suppression that happens right here in Congress.”
“Many members of Congress have to stand in long lines to enter the chamber, going through metal detectors, emptying our pockets, and being treated very disrespectfully. So that is real voter suppression, and it’s a shame that it happens right here on the House floor,” she added.
Finally, the Georgia Congresswoman claimed, “Standing in line to vote is not voter suppression. It’s just part of the voting process, just like people stand in line to buy groceries.”
Watch the video below:
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: "There's real voter suppression that happens right here in Congress. Many members of Congress have to stand in long lines to enter the chamber, going through metal detectors, emptying our pockets, and being treated very disrespectfully." pic.twitter.com/bOsjHnIE1j
— The Hill (@thehill) March 2, 2021
Greene’s comments come as the House is expected to pass an election reform bill, HR-1, which aims to restore a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that required states with histories of racial discrimination to receive federal oversight of election decisions.
The Supreme Court 2013 Shelby v. Holder decision eliminated that provision.
As the number of voters in non-white neighbors has grown since that decision, the number of voters assigned to a polling location has increased in states such as Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
Additionally, as more voters registered in Georgia, jurisdictions with larger non-white populations saw polling location closures.
Adrienne Jones, a political science professor at Morehouse College, told NPR that the increased number of voters assigned represents a form of voter suppression.
“You’re closing down polling places so people have a more difficult time getting there,” Jones said.
The New York Times noted that in Georgia’s primary elections last year, some potential voters who encountered long lines eventually left the line before they could cast their ballot.
House Republicans have expressed outrage at the decision to install metal detectors outside the chamber following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
