This post was originally published on this site
Arnold Schwarzenegger is a big fan of voting, and he’s willing to use his own money to help more people vote.
That was the message the actor and former California governor sent Thursday, tweeting in response to a Reuters news story about polling places closing because of budget cuts, and offering to solve their budgetary issues.
“ “What if I made it easy & solved the budgetary issue? How much would it cost to reopen polling places?” ”
“I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I’m a fanatic about voting,” he said while retweeting a 2019 Reuters article reporting that 1,200 polling places have closed in mostly Southern states in recent years.
“Most people call closing polls voter suppression,” he said. “Some say it is ‘budgetary.’ What if I made it easy & solved the budgetary issue? How much would it cost to reopen polling places?
“This is a serious question,” he continued. “Is closing polling stations about making it harder for minorities to vote, or is it because of budgets? If you say it’s because of your budget, let’s talk.”
According to the Reuters report, a civil-rights group found hundreds of polling stations in states with a history of racial discrimination had been closed since 2013. States cited a number of reasons for the closures, including budgetary strains, noncompliance with disability laws and shifts toward centralized “voting centers.”
Schwarzenegger, a Republican, served two terms as California’s governor. He is scheduled to appear with a number of other political dignitaries, including former first lady Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain and Ann Romney, on a get-out-the-vote special airing Sept. 14 on ABC.
