Caraway refused to talk to me, but I did come across his field coordinator for Precinct 3128, Pat Spears, who assured me that no one connected with the Caraway campaign was out there messing with any elderly people about their absentee ballots. Let's go see. This neighborhood is equal parts tough and gentle. Gang-looking young men, sipping jumbos on the grass under a shade tree, give strangers the bad eye. But almost every front porch carries well-worn chairs and a table for the sweetened tea.
People here know each other and look out for their neighbors.
A nosy reporter knocking on doors of elderly people is likely to rouse the neighbors. Patterns emerge after a while. Caraway's ballot collection agents didn't go after the Hispanics. They didn't try very hard with the elderly black people who are still sharp. But almost every elderly black voter I visited who showed any sign of fuzziness or confusion had a story to tell about giving up a ballot.