“The hope I have is that it will show that our election workers have worked diligently and hard through this entire election, that they have been checking signatures as ballots are received and they’ve been matched,” said Aklima Khondoker, Georgia director for All Voting is Local, an organization that advocates for greater voting access.
Aklima Khondoker, Georgia state director for All Voting is Local, agrees that making voting harder is not the answer to easing election workers’ burden. “The solution must be to support the workers that are doing this work so they can continue to do it (and) voters can continue to enjoy access to the ballot,” she says, adding that means hiring more poll workers and instituting more robust training.
Aklima Khondoker, Georgia state director of All Voting Is Local, worked with other nonprofits including the Coalition for the People’s Agenda and Black Voters Matter to organize brigades of volunteers to hang voting literature on the doorknobs of state residents in areas where high-speed internet is scarce.
“Anytime you have invitations going out from leadership, you’re going to run into potential inequities, especially not only the nonprofit, advocacy-oriented lobby corps, but also the public,” Brad Ashwell, Florida state director of All Voting is Local, said in a phone interview. “A lot of constituency groups bus up members during session.”
Logistics could also pose a problem, Ashwell said. Lobbyists could find it difficult to attend a House committee meeting in the Capitol shortly before or after making a virtual appearance at a Senate panel from the civic center.
“This disconnect between what the House and Senate are doing is concerning to me. They need to be on the same page,” Ashwell said.
“Expanding voting benefits everyone, and I would say it’s best for our democracy that everyone has a voice,” said Aklima Khondoker, Georgia state director for All Voting Is Local.
“When you allow for greater access to the ballot, voters are going to show up,” Khondoker said.
Opinion: Being tired is not a reasonable excuse to create barriers to the ballot. Voters are tired too, but we’re still showing up and doing our part to participate in our democracy. Director Eveler must do the same.
