ATLANTA — All Voting is Local Georgia, Campaign Legal Center (CLC), NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, today urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to immediately direct counties to expand early voting sites and hours, resolve voting technology problems, publish updated ballot status information, and add ballot drop boxes ahead of the January 5 runoff elections.
In their letter, advocates call upon Secretary Raffensperger to act swiftly to ensure that all voters can cast a ballot that counts without needless obstacles.
Among the recommendations:
- Mandate specific weekend early voting dates statewide; the early voting period begins on Dec. 14, and will be held over federal holidays when county offices will be closed.
- Address widespread technological and training issues with voter check-in equipment known as poll pads, including:
- Ensuring they’re accurately programmed and tested prior to usage
- Improve poll worker training regarding troubleshooting issues
- Allowing poll workers to override inaccurate poll pad readings
- Increase the number of poll pads relative to the precinct size and number of assigned voters
- Clarify voters’ absentee ballot status on the county and state websites, and explain the difference between “accepted,” “received,” and “counted.”
- Mandate counties install at least one ballot drop box per 15,000 voters, as suggested by the Election Assistance Commission.
The letter is available here.
The following groups signed the letter:
All Voting is Local
Asian American Advocacy Fund
Black Voters Matter Fund
Campaign Legal Center
Georgia NAACP
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Planned Parenthood Southeast
Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund
Voting Rights Lab Action