Rioters stormed the United States Capitol and threatened Congress members’ lives, then-Vice President Mike Pence, and the foundation upon which this country is built on January 6. Now come the details that some of the rioters, arrested for committing federal crimes for their part in the insurrection, did not vote in the election they sought to overturn, reports CNN on February 1, 2021.
Those involved in the insurrection declared they were driven by patriotism, falsely repeating the lie then-President Donald Trump told about being the legitimate winner of the 2020 General Election.
Since the FBI began arresting them, their rallying cry is their actions were at the behest of their Commander-in-Chief. He told the rioters he would go with them to the Capitol, and, even though there is evidence to the contrary when asked if Trump was in the crowd, they answer yes.
Yet, at least eight rioters did not cast a ballot in the presidential election.
The CNN editorial research department staff analyzed the “voting records from the states where the protesters were arrested and any states where public records show they have lived.” They were able to secure voting data of over 80 of those first arrested who ranged in age between 21 to 65. The rioters hailed from states throughout the country.
Most of them voted in November 2020. CNN was able to learn party information from states allowed to provide such data — some were registered Republican and others Democrat. However, public access to voter history data varies from state to state, and the researchers were unable to view the information of some rioters charged.
Donovan Crowl, a 50-year-old ex-Marine, is one of the rioters who did not vote. Despite his pro-Trump views, the county registrar said he registered in 2013 but never cast a ballot, nor did he respond to their confirmation notices, so he was removed from the rolls at the end of 2020. He was once registered in Illinois but was not on the rolls there either.
Another of the rioters, 25-year-old Jack Griffith from Tennessee, was registered in his home state and Alabama. Their records indicate he voted in the 2016 and 2018 elections but not in 2020.
It is possible the rioters who did not vote believe the system is rigged. With that belief system in place and Trump’s false claims of the stolen election, it might make them think that casting a ballot is pointless.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Source:
CNN: They stormed the Capitol to overturn the results of an election they didn’t vote in; by Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Blink O’fanaye’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Bill Smith’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
