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The Georgia legislature’s passage of this harmful legislation flagrantly attempts to erect barriers to free and fair elections, and is anti-American at its core. These new restrictions, which include reductions in drop boxes and other new barriers to casting absentee ballots, severely threaten the freedom to vote of the state’s most marginalized communities, including people of color, young people and people with low incomes and/or disabilities. Making it illegal to give water to voters standing in line for hours to vote is not only wrong-headed, it’s cruel.
Georgians of all stripes, but particularly young voters and communities of color turned out in unprecedented numbers across Georgia in the state’s recent elections, overcoming already-significant barriers to voting in an inspiring display of civic engagement. Legislators should be celebrating greater engagement by voters. To now restrict their ability to vote safely and easily is a direct assault on our democracy.
Sadly, this unjustifiable act by Georgia’s elected officials is just one example of a broader wave of anti-voting legislation being introduced and enacted in states across the country. We strongly denounce this assault on the rights of Georgians, and we remain committed to using advocacy and the courts, if necessary, to protect every American’s right to vote, across every state, in every election.
-Robert Brandon, President & CEO