New Georgia Project Files Lawsuits Demanding GA Counties Provide Legally Required Early Voting
December 17, 2020 Atlanta, GA – On Wednesday afternoon, four lawsuits were filed on behalf of the New Georgia Project by Marc E. Elias of Perkins Coie, which specializes in voting rights and election law. The lawsuits contend that four Georgia counties have failed to offer advance voting on all dates required by Georgia law. Currently, Bibb, Clarke, Houston, and Paulding counties do not intend to offer advance voting on December 19, 2020 or January 4, 2021 (or, in the case of Bibb County, December 31, 2020), which is illegal.
In demanding that early voting be made accessible on these dates, the lawsuits emphasize the need for expanded voting options and access while Georgians are in the midst of a global pandemic. With the January 5th runoff determining the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, it is more important than ever that all eligible Georgians be able to make their voices heard.
“Every day of advance voting provided under Georgia law matters and helps ensure voters are not disenfranchised because of inadequate access to the polls. We will fight for the right of every eligible Georgian to cast a ballot early, and we will hold counties accountable for violating the law,’ said Nsé Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project. “The record turnout we are witnessing should be applauded, not undermined. We will not idly sit by while Georgia voters are punished for their robust, enthusiastic, historic participation in our elections.”
The lawsuits were filed in Bibb, Clarke, Houston, and Paulding counties with the specific request that the Court enter a temporary restraining order requiring the counties to:
- Allow advance voting on Saturday, December 19, 2020, Thursday, December 31, and Monday, January 4, 2021,
- Prohibit the counties from closing the polls on any of the above dates, and
- Direct Defendants to permit any eligible voters to cast their ballots on those dates.
More than one million Georgians have registered to vote since the 2018 voter registration deadline. Already, more than 900,000 Georgia voters have cast their ballots, and on the first three days of early voting, more than 475,000 Georgians voted at early voting locations, breaking records in the state.
About New Georgia Project
The New Georgia Project is a nonpartisan effort to register and civically engage Georgians. To date, the NGP has registered nearly 500,000 people from underrepresented communities to vote in Georgia. In addition to registering voters, NGP also advocates for civil and human rights causes and works to advance justice on behalf of historically marginalized communities. www.newgeorgiaproject.org.
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