ATLANTA – Today, representatives from Fair Fight Action, the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc. issued the following joint statement:
“While voter suppression has targeted people of color under Georgia’s current leadership, the impact of voter suppression hurts everyone, as the latest proposed polling location closures in Randolph County demonstrate. Whether the polling closures happen in majority black, heavily Democratic precincts or majority white, heavily Republican ones, fewer polling locations will result in less access to the ballot box and fewer voters exercising their fundamental right to vote. We therefore condemn the proposed actions by Randolph County leaders, just as we did in 2018. It is our hope that after the local and national outcry last year that county leadership would not make the same mistake again. Making it more difficult, more time consuming, and more costly to vote by closing polling locations is always wrong, regardless of the race or voting history of the voters most impacted. After 214 polling locations closed under Brian Kemp’s watch as Secretary of State, we call on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to immediately provide guidance and direct resources so that these polling locations remain open. Our organizations will continue to fight voter suppression no matter who is harmed; Secretary Raffensperger and leaders in Randolph and all 159 counties must do the same.”
Helen Butler, Executive Director, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda
Lauren Groh-Wargo, CEO, Fair Fight Action
Leah C. Aden, Deputy Director of Litigation, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.
John S. Cusick, Equal Justice Works Fellow, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc.
Randolph County made national headlines in 2018 while considering a proposal to close polling locations; the proposal would have disproportionately impacted voters of color if it had been implemented. The county is now proposing closing numerous polling locations used primarily by white voters.