DECATUR, Ga. - Civil rights advocates are demanding protections for voters after a Decatur pastor whose church serves as an official polling location posted a series of anti-Muslim statements online, according to the group.
What we know:
The Georgia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Georgia Muslim Voter Project publicly condemned the remarks Tuesday.
The Church at Decatur Heights serves as an official precinct, where Pastor Alan Smith published online statements attacking Muslim religious expression and civic participation.
Smith called on social media followers to "Vote Red" to halt the election of Muslim candidates to public office.
A local voter assigned to cast a ballot at the church alerted advocacy organizations after discovering the statements.
The voter reported experiencing fear and uncertainty about entering the building on Election Day.
What they're saying:
Smith shared disparaging commentary on his publicly accessible Facebook page regarding Muslims in American life.
In one post, Smith stated: "No decent person should support Muslims because they are so evil and, yet, the Democrats have elected them and have more on this year's ballot."
On Oct. 26, Smith shared an image showing Muslim women wearing niqab. Alongside the photograph, Smith wrote: "Why would anyone want this to be allowed in America? (And yet, Muslims are being accepted and even being elected to offices in our cities, states and congress.) Vote Red to help stop this madness."
Advocacy groups stated the pastor's rhetoric fosters open hostility toward an entire religious community.
"We cannot allow bigotry to dissuade us from exercising our rights or voting according to our conscience," said Azka Mahmood, executive director of CAIR-Georgia. "Nor should we allow prejudice to call our contributions into question, diminish our sense of belonging, or discourage our participation in civic life."
Georgia Muslim Voter Project Executive Director Shafina Khabani emphasized the legal protections guaranteed to all voters.
"Hosting a polling place means serving the entire community," Khabani said. "Muslim voters, like all voters, have the right to cast their ballots free from harassment or intimidation. Election officials must take this voter’s concerns seriously and ensure that every voter assigned to this location can exercise that right. Our priority is protecting access to the ballot and providing voters the support they need."
What you can do:
Voters encountering problems, harassment, or intimidation at any polling location can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683).
Advocates also pressed the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections alongside church leadership to promptly address any voting issues reported at the site.
What we don't know:
DeKalb County election officials have not publicly confirmed whether staff will monitor the polling site during voting hours.
Leaders at The Church at Decatur Heights have not issued a formal response addressing the calls to ensure a welcoming space.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from CAIR-Georgia and the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, who issued a joint statement detailing the social media posts and community concerns, as well as publicly accessible statements published by Pastor Alan Smith.