ATLANTA – Today, following the United States Department of Justice’s announcement of a federal lawsuit against Georgia’s anti-voter legislation SB 202, Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight Action, released the following statement:
“I commend Attorney General Merrick Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for taking bold action to combat restrictions on Georgians’ freedom to vote. Senate Bill 202 in Georgia and similar anti-voter bills being passed around the country undermine our democracy and restrict access in ways that target voters of color. This lawsuit takes aim at the discriminatory provisions outlined in SB 202, specifically, banning distribution of water and snacks, restricting access to drop boxes, shortening periods for voting by mail, throwing out eligible votes and creating unacceptably long lines.
I also applaud the Department of Justice for announcing a taskforce to protect elections workers from increasing, anti-democratic threats, as well as for the guidance his agency is issuing to stop partisan, sham ‘audits,’ which undermine our institutions and advance the Big Lie.
This lawsuit by the Department of Justice is a critical step towards protecting our democracy and the freedom to vote, but additional federal action is necessary, and that is why we urge Congress to pass the For The People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.”
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