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Fair Fight Endorses Pro-Voter and Pro-Choice Champion John Barrow in Georgia Supreme Court Race
ATLANTA — Fair Fight today announced their endorsement of former Georgia Congressman John Barrow for the May 21 Georgia State Supreme Court election.
“Fair Fight is proud to endorse John Barrow for this pivotal Georgia Supreme Court seat,” said Fair Fight CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo. “As one of the first states since Dobbs to implement an extreme abortion ban, we must elect John Barrow to the Georgia Supreme Court to ensure we have a pro-choice Democracy Champion on Georgia’s highest court.”
“We know that the voter suppression movement and the anti-abortion movement are working hand-in-hand to strip us of our fundamental freedoms, and Black and Brown communities bear the brunt of the impact of voting and abortion restrictions. Under Brian Kemp and current Georgia Supreme Court Justice Andrew Pinson, the right to reproductive freedom and the freedom to vote have been under attack in Georgia for years,” said Nicole Robinson, Fair Fight’s Political and Research Director. “Reproductive freedom is a fundamental freedom to make decisions about your life and the right to abortion care is supported by the vast majority of Georgians. We need to protect access to abortion care at all levels of government, including by electing John Barrow to the Georgia State Supreme Court.”
In 2019, Brian Kemp signed HB 481 into law, banning most abortions after six weeks, over the objections of medical professionals from across the state of Georgia. While a lower court ruled the law unconstitutional due to precedent outlined in Roe v. Wade, the Georgia Supreme Court later overturned the lower court ruling after the US Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case. Even before the ban, and in the years since, Georgia has ranked amongst the worst states for maternal healthcare access and in particular for Black maternal healthcare. The state’s healthcare infrastructure continues to struggle as Kemp continually rejects federal Medicaid, choosing instead to utilize high-priced consultants while hundreds of thousands of Georgians continue to lack access to affordable and accessible healthcare.
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Fair Fight Endorses Slate of Pro-Voter Democracy Champions Committed to Protecting the Freedom to Vote
ATLANTA — Fair Fight today announced their endorsement of a diverse slate of pro-voter Democracy Champions for the May 21 Georgia Primary Election. The endorsements are the first of the 2024 election cycle, and focus on efforts to protect democracy and freedom in Georgia at the state and local level.
“Fair Fight is proud to endorse this diverse slate of pro-voter Democracy Champions for the May 21st Primary Election,” said Fair Fight’s Political and Research Director, Nicole Robinson. “When we have the freedom to take our seat at the table and our place at the ballot box, we can elect leaders who govern in our interests, ensure every voice is heard, and make the promise of democracy real for us all. ”
The slate of Fair Fight’s endorsed candidates in Georgia includes:
- District Attorney Jared T. Williams, Augusta Judicial Circuit
- District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones, Eastern Judicial Circuit
- Representative David Wilkerson, Georgia State House District 38
- Representative Teri Anulewicz, Georgia State House District 42
- Representative Debra Bazemore, Georgia State House District 69
- Representative Mary Margaret Oliver, Georgia State House District 84
- Representative Marvin Lim, Georgia State House District 98
- Representative Karlton L. Howard, Georgia State House District 129
- Representative Debbie G. Buckner, Georgia State House District 137
- Representative Tremaine “Teddy” Reese, Georgia State House District 140
- Representative Al Williams, Georgia State House District 168
- State Senator Michael “Doc” Rhett, Georgia State Senate District 33
- State Senator Nan Orrock, Georgia State Senate District 36
- State Senator Sally Harrell, Georgia State Senate District 40
- State Senator Elena C. Parent, Georgia State Senate District 44
- State Senator Kim Jackson, Georgia State Senate District 41
- Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson, Chair of Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners
- Chairwoman Tarenia Carthan, Chair of Douglas County Board of Commissioners
- Commissioner Jordan Johnson, Augusta Commission District 1
- Commissioner Francine R. Scott, Augusta Commission District 9
“As the margins of victory narrow in Georgia, MAGA loyalists in the state legislature and in local office continue to ramp up their attacks on our democracy and the freedom to vote; from attempts to purge voters from the rolls through mass voter challenges to new attempts to legislate mass voter disenfranchisement and undermine elections infrastructure, the stakes are high for our democracy in 2024. ” said Robinson “And with the continued escalating threats to democracy, we must elect leaders, like Fair Fight’s Democracy Champions, who are willing to stand up to election deniers and voter suppressors.”
Whether it is attacks on the freedom to vote, the targeting of district attorneys representing the will of the people, or the upending of norms in our courts, Democracy Champions have positioned themselves on the frontlines of the battle to push back against the MAGA agenda taking over institutions across the state of Georgia. Fair Fight PAC issues endorsements in support of officials that leverage their positions to protect democracy, invest in elections infrastructure, and expand access to ensure free and fair elections for all.
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Georgia Assembly Moves Mass Challenge Bill, Includes Provisions From Election-Deniers
HB 976 passes committee with provisions that further known and debunked election conspiracy theories in service of the Big Lie
Atlanta – Voting rights in the state of Georgia took another blow after the Georgia Senate Ethics Committee moved HB 976 with new provisions that embrace theories backed by proven election deniers.
Fair Fight Action released a statement condemning the MAGA-backed attack on the freedom to vote in Georgia and called for the anti-voter, anti-democratic bill to die:
“MAGA loyalists in the state senate are ramping up their attacks on our democracy and the freedom to vote. Echoing shameful tactics utilized in the depths of Jim Crow, the bill passed out of committee today makes it even easier for MAGA vigilantes to try to throw hundreds, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of voters off the rolls at once. This kind of activity creates a climate of voter suppression that is far-reaching, and it also jams up election offices, wasting resources and time. In fact- jamming up the election system is part of their stated aim. This bill is unnecessary– there are already robust list maintenance practices to keep our voter rolls up to date, and there is no need to further empower MAGA vigilantes to decide who gets to vote in our state.
MAGA loyalists are picking up this playbook, and we’re seeing this voter suppression strategy expanding across the country to Texas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada. The conspiracy theorists behind mass challenges will not stop until they guarantee victory for the anti-voter movement over the long term, threatening our very democracy. This bill and practice must die. The people have the power to stop this, and we are ready for the fight.”
The updated version of HB 976 includes provisions that open more pathways to kick voters off of the rolls, including a provision that targets unhoused individuals. It allows right-wing election deniers to use unreliable and inaccurate databases and information from these databases to challenge voters and provisions that could dramatically increase workloads for already overburdened election workers, like requiring them to provide uncertified high-resolution ballot images on demand. The committee rejected provisions that allowed the State to impose reasonable charges for frivolous challenges and attached requirements to attach challenges to government agency data, rather than unreliable, private databases.
Advocates are urging members of the public to call Rules Committee Chairman Matt Brass at 404-656-0057 and tell him to STOP HB 976.
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Fair Fight Doubles Down on Efforts to Push Back Against Mass Challenges and Intimidation Following Federal Court Ruling in Suit Against True the Vote
ATLANTA — Judge Steve C. Jones today issued a ruling in the federal voting rights case Fair Fight v. True the Vote, which was tried over three weeks in October and November 2023. Through the litigation, Fair Fight challenged the vote-suppressing tactics embraced by the Texas-based organization True the Vote (TTV)—including mass voter challenges and other forms of alleged intimidation ahead of the 2021 U.S. Senate runoff in Georgia.
In the weeks leading to the January 5, 2021 runoff, TTV announced plans to challenge the eligibility of 364,000 registered Georgia voters — alleged by TTV to be the largest mass challenge effort in state history. The group also engaged in other aggressive tactics Fair Fight contends intimidated eligible voters, including the recruitment of Navy SEALs and “citizen watchdogs” to patrol polling stations and surveil ballot drop boxes, and offering a $1 million fund to incentivize and compensate reports of alleged “illegal voting.”
“We believe True the Vote used Donald Trump’s Big Lie as the basis to launch eligibility challenges against more than 364,000 Georgians ahead of the runoff—many of whom were Black, brown, and first-time voters,” said Fair Fight Executive Director Cianti Stewart-Reid. “Over the last two years, we have seen a growing number of groups follow suit across the country, drawing from True the Vote’s anti-voter playbook to launch their own mass voter challenge efforts that continue to this day.”
While the Court declined to find the actions by TTV in 2021 amounted to unlawful intimidation, the ruling included stark criticisms of the organization’s process for challenging voters. From the very first page of the opinion, the Court reiterated its ongoing concerns about TTV’s practices, later noting that TTV’s approach to list maintenance “utterly lacked reliability” and “verges on recklessness.” (Order at 90.)
“As the federal court weighed the evidence presented about True the Vote’s tactics in the 2021 runoff elections, it did not hold back its criticisms of the Texas group’s methods,” said Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, counsel for the Plaintiffs. “To the contrary, the 145-page opinion expressly states the Court ‘in no way[] is condoning TTV’s actions in facilitating a mass number of seemingly frivolous challenges.’ (Order at 123 n. 60). And yet, the district court ordered no relief for Georgia voters, instead pointing to the actions of the Georgia General Assembly which, after this suit was filed, amended the state’s challenge laws ‘to make clear there was no numerical limitation on voter challenges.’”
In a further condemnation of TTV’s practices, the Court’s ruling stated that “[i]t is clear that True the Vote did not engage in a quality process to create the list, nor did they have proper review or controls in place.” (Order at 91.)
TTV has long faced legal scrutiny over allegations of its incendiary rhetoric and dangerous disinformation about election integrity. Despite that legal scrutiny, it appears TTV continues to recruit, train, and mobilize conspiracy theorists as part of a district-by-district, county-by-county, state-by-state strategy to embolden individuals to undertake the types of tactics that lead to voter intimidation and significant burdens on election administrators.
“Efforts by conspiracy theorists and anti-voter extremists to strip eligible voters from the rolls through mass voter challenges and aggressive voter purges are one of the biggest threats to our democracy and upcoming elections in 2024” said Stewart-Reid. “As always, Fair Fight remains steadfast in our commitment to protect voters—both within and outside the courtroom—and advocate for our constitutional right to vote, free from fear of harassment and intimidation.”
Media can find additional background on mass challenges, Fair Fight v. True the Vote, and key takeaways from trial proceedings via the following resources:
- Case Timeline and Key Background
- ICYMI: Fair Fight v. True the Vote Pre-Trial Press Briefing
- ICYMI: Top Takeaways From Fair Fight Press Conference Ahead of Oct. 26 Trial
- Key Trial Takeaways – Days 1-3
- Key Trial Takeaways – Days 4-6
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Fair Fight Endorses Slate of Seven Georgia Candidates Committed to Protecting the Freedom to Vote
ATLANTA — Fair Fight today announced their endorsement of six pro-voter, pro-democracy candidates for the November 2023 Municipal elections, including three incumbents. This endorsement announcement follows their endorsement of incumbent Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson earlier this summer.
“Fair Fight is proud to endorse this diverse slate of pro-voter candidates for the November 7th municipal elections,” said Fair Fight Political Director Nicole Robinson. “Each of these candidates have been advocates for voters in their communities in and outside of elected office. We look forward to supporting them in their elections so they can continue to be advocates for expanding voter access in their communities.”
The full slate of Fair Fight’s endorsed candidates in Georgia includes:
- Mayor Van R. Johnson (Mayor of Savannah)
- Councilmember Corey B. Morgan (Camilla City Council District 1- Post 1)
- Commissioner Demetrius Young (Albany City Commission Ward 6)
- Councilmember Solange Destang (Snellville City Council Post 2)
- Dele Lowman (Mayor of Stonecrest)
- Councilwoman Ceretta Smith (Mayor of Grovetown)
- Anthony Gutierrez (Kennesaw City Council Post 2)
“These endorsements come at a time when anti-voter activists and elected officials are attacking the right to vote for Georgians at all levels of government, including the local level,” said Robinson. “As far-right conspiracy theorists and election deniers across the country continue to advance a nationally-coordinated effort to restrict access to the ballot, attack election administration, and subvert the will of voters, it is more important than ever that Georgians are represented by champions of democracy across all levels of government.”
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ICYMI: Key Takeaways from Battleground Democracy Briefing on Mass Voter Challenges in GA, Impact on Election Administration, and Groups Leading Anti-Voter Efforts
ICYMI: Key Takeaways from Battleground Democracy Briefing on Mass Voter Challenges in GA, Impact on Election Administration, and Groups Leading Anti-Voter Efforts
ATLANTA — Yesterday, Fair Fight hosted the third in a series of “Battleground Democracy” briefings to provide media with insight into the current landscape for voting access as we approach the 2024 Presidential Election and the escalating threats to our democracy amid a coordinated nationwide right-wing effort to undermine elections.
The briefing covered the latest developments around mass voter challenges in Georgia and included remarks from Fair Fight leadership in addition to the respective former Chairs of the Boards of Registration and Elections for Fulton and DeKalb Counties, Cathy Woolard and Dele Lowman, respectively. The briefing provided an overview of Fair Fight’s most recent Battleground Democracy memo highlighting four groups we believe are leading efforts to restrict voter access and hamper election administration, burdening both voters and election workers alike.
Takeaways and excerpts from the briefing can be read below.
You can view slides from the presentation here. The full recording is available upon request.
TAKEAWAY #1 – ANTI-VOTER EXTREMISTS APPEAR TO BE ENGAGED IN A STATE-BY-STATE, PRECINCT-BY-PRECINCT STRATEGY TO DISRUPT U.S. ELECTIONS
“Across the country, anti-voter extremists, Republican lawmakers, and election-denying conspiracy peddlers are waging what appears to be a coordinated effort to push access to the ballot out of reach, subvert election outcomes, and sow chaos in election administration.” – Fair Fight Executive Director Cianti Stewart-Reid
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“The far-right playbook is three-pronged: restrict voter access, attack election administration, and subvert the will of voters.” – Cianti Stewart-Reid
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“These efforts don’t take place in a silo, but rather they’re part of a coordinated, state-by-state, precinct-by-precinct strategy to leverage undemocratic tactics that restrict voter access and hamper election administration.” – Cianti Stewart-Reid
TAKEAWAY #2 – GEORGIA CONTINUES TO SERVE AS A TESTING GROUND FOR ANTI-VOTER TACTICS AND CATALYST FOR NATIONWIDE TRENDS
“Mass challenges have become core to this effort, with Georgia serving as the testing ground for an alarming and dangerous strategy to make administering elections more difficult while intimidating and harassing voters the GOP deems undesirable.” – Cianti Stewart-Reid
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“Some far-right groups — many of them with ties to Donald Trump — are now weaponizing…disinformation and conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election to enlist and train individual citizens to help drive their efforts to purge eligible voters from the rolls.” – Fair Fight Director of Strategic Communications Xakota Espinoza
TAKEAWAY #3 – FAILURE BY THE STATE ELECTIONS BOARD (SEB) TO PROVIDE COUNTIES WITH GUIDANCE ON ADMINISTERING MASS CHALLENGES HAS LED TO MASS CONFUSION AND DISPARITIES ACROSS 159 COUNTIES
“And despite the fact that SB 202 passed more than two years ago, the Georgia State Election Board has still failed to provide counties any guidance on how to process challenges. This results in different interpretations of how to adhere to SB 202 across 159 counties.” – Cianti Stewart-Reid
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“What causes a lot of confusion and frustration is…the lack of guidance from the State Election Board that we have asked for repeatedly to help us to understand where we should weigh in and what type of criteria outside of the broad guidance that is given in law to determine whether these challenges…should be substantiated.” – Dele Lowman, former Chair of the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections
TAKEAWAY #4 – THE COST OF ADMINISTERING ELECTIONS IN FULTON COUNTY HAS SKYROCKETED AS A RESULT OF MASS CHALLENGES AND OTHER UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT PLACE SIGNIFICANT BURDENS ON ELECTION WORKERS
“While operating under the guise of so-called ‘list maintenance’ and the need for ‘clean voter rolls,’ in reality these challenges are placing significant burdens on voters and election workers alike.” – Xakota Espinoza
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“[Mass voter challenges] bottlenecked our staff from doing their own priority work that they need[ed] to do to get ready for an election.” – Cathy Woolard, former Chair of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections
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“We got…just a ton of open records requests. In fact, we get so many that we were really contemplating trying to have a single staff person dedicated full-time to fulfilling open records requests.” – Cathy Woolard
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“We have had legal challenges, including legal challenges on Election Day — from people who just decided something was going wrong, and we’d have to pack up our Election Director and run over to the courthouse and answer questions — which were dismissed because they were false and distracting.” – Cathy Woolard
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“The cost of elections, particularly since Senate Bill 202, ha[s] gotten incredibly more expensive. In Fulton County, it’s 4 to 5 times higher than the cost of elections were in 2018. That is a very short period of time for a huge escalation in price, and people come down and complain about the pricing…we’ve gone from about $2 per voter per election — so that’s primaries, runoffs, generals — to now, $6 to $9 per voter. ” – Cathy Woolard
TAKEAWAY #5 – VOTERS OF COLOR ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY TARGETED AND BURDENED BY MASS VOTER CHALLENGES
“It became very clear, as we saw the pattern of these challenges, that certain groups were being targeted. That included students who may live on campus at various colleges in DeKalb County, people who were experiencing homelessness, and individuals with obviously ethnic names…While there was the claim that there was no targeting by race, zip code is a proxy for race.” – Dele Lowman
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“It’s clear to me that this is part of an overall strategy to disenfranchise voters that these groups deem to be undesirable.” – Dele Lowman
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“True The Vote relied on rejected claims of voter fraud in an attempt to justify their efforts to challenge voters immediately before the January 5 runoff in 2021. They had announced that they had planned to help facilitate challenges against 364,000 Georgia voters, and ultimately, [True the Vote] worked with local Georgians to submit challenges against a total of 250,783 registered Georgia voters across 65 counties immediately before the 2021 runoff. And these challenges were more likely to be made in counties with larger populations of Black and Brown voters.” – Xakota Espinoza
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“By allowing these ongoing challenges, it drives further distrust in the process which only fuels that narrative that people are voting who should not be voting. And it leads to the types of behavior that we saw on January 6, and continue targeting through legislation that undermines our access to the vote.” – Dele Lowman
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