Stacey Abrams' Allies Sue Georgia, Alleging an Unconstitutional Election System [View all]

[Arkansas Granny]

Allies of Stacey Abrams, the Democrat who came up just short in Georgia’s gubernatorial election this month, sued the state on Tuesday, alleging that its election system violates the Constitution and federal voting rights laws.

The lawsuit cites an extensive list of voting problems in Georgia, including voter registration issues and Election Day snafus that prevented an unknown number of people from voting. It argues that the secretary of state and state board of elections systematically disenfranchised some voters and effectively disenfranchised others by creating conditions that made it harder for people of color to vote.

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The lawsuit asks a federal judge to force Georgia to change how the secretary of state and elections board administer elections in Georgia. The long list of requests include blocking the state’s current practice of purging infrequent voters from the rolls; ending the use of electronic voting machines without a paper trail; and ensuring that local election officials are properly trained so that inadequate equipment and misinformation do not not disenfranchise Georgia voters. The lawsuit doesn’t challenge the results of the November 6 election, which Abrams lost to Republican Brian Kemp by 1.4 percentage points.

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Although the lawsuit does not seek to change the results of this year’s election, it asks the federal courts to weigh in on whether an election like this one is legitimate, or whether the totality of problems amounts to an unconstitutional system.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/11/stacey-abrams-allies-sue-georgia-alleging-an-unconstitutional-election-system/

I hope they are successful. The only way to make sure that elections are fair is to start at the local and state level.