WASHINGTON – All Voting is Local Action Georgia state director Aklima Khondoker issued the following statement in response to the state legislature advancing House Bill 531 and Senate Bill 241, which brazenly gut Georgians’ voting accessibility:
“These new bills are a reprehensible power grab that were rushed through committee and never intended to solve the real issues that plagued our elections — like long lines, machine malfunctions, and staffing scarcities. Instead, they accommodate legislators’ political fragility and indulge the unfounded accusations of a scant few who fear impartial elections.
“Georgia voters turned out in November and January, making their voices heard through ballot drop boxes, expanded absentee voting, and increased early voting hours. That increased access empowered voters to change Georgia’s political landscape, and now, the legislature is trying to ensure it never happens again.
“Georgians must have the freedom to vote in the way that works best for them.”
Background:
Although two separate bills, HB 531 and SB 241 similarly repress voting access and do nothing to address the election problems during the 2020 primary and general election. Instead, the bills fulfill the wishes of the state’s Republican Party, which sought changes in response to baseless and reckless accusations.
All Voting is Local Action fights to eliminate needless and discriminatory barriers to voting before they happen, to build a democracy that works for us all. It is a campaign of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a 501(c)(4) organization that, through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, works toward the goal of a more open and just society – an America as good as its ideals. For more information, visit https://civilrights.org