For Immediate Release
September 20, 2024
New Georgia Project
Media Contact: Simran Jadavji
(646) 673-4191, [email protected]
New Georgia Project Condemns Georgia State Elections Board Move Forcing Counties to Hand Count Ballots
(Atlanta, Georgia) – New Georgia Project (NGP) released the following statement after the Georgia State Elections Board voted to force Georgia’s county boards of election to hand count voters’ ballots in November.
“Georgia’s State Elections Board has, once again, voted in favor of increased confusion, doubt, and mistrust within our elections administration. This new move to force county boards of elections to hand count ballots on and after Election Day will only serve to burden our already over-stretched and underfunded elections administration and cast ambiguity over our election results.
‘This move by the SEB continues to fuel baseless lies and conspiracy theories about election fraud in Georgia,’ said NGP CEO, Dr. Roslyn Satchel. ‘We’ve seen this game before: conservatives didn’t like the results of the 2020 election, so they passed SB 202—a voter suppression law aimed at silencing the growing majority of Black, Brown, and young voters in our state. Now, they aren’t waiting until November 5 to continue chipping away at voters’ rights in Georgia; they have been at it all year with two rules allowing counties to delay certification and now this unnecessary and harmful move requiring the hand count of ballots, which will only open the door for human error, further certification delays, and extreme confusion. The SEB is treating our ballots like a game of 52 card pick up. They need to stop playing and start getting serious about this election that will determine the future of our democracy and our country.’
With only 46 days left until Election Day, the last thing Georgia’s elections workers need are new rules and processes. The last thing Georgia voters need is further fear and worry that their votes may not be counted correctly or counted at all. This move—and other recent attempts by the SEB to delay election certification in Georgia—is a dangerous, made-up solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.
Georgia is a key battleground state, and voters here will determine the outcome of this year’s Presidential race, just as it did in 2020. While the Georgia State Elections Board plays politics with our country’s future, New Georgia Project will continue to crisscross the state educating voters on their rights, mobilizing Georgians to the polls, and making sure our votes are counted.”
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