Last updated on June 22nd, 2021 at 07:49 am
Georgia Republicans are using new voter suppression laws to target and remove black local election officials.
Across Georgia, members of at least 10 county election boards have been removed, had their position eliminated, or are likely to be kicked off through local ordinances or new laws passed by the state legislature. At least five are people of color and most are Democrats — though some are Republicans — and they will most likely all be replaced by Republicans.
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Ms. Hollis and local officials like her have been some of the earliest casualties as Republican-led legislatures mount an expansive takeover of election administration in a raft of new voting bills this year.
The same targeting is happening in Arkansas and Kansas and could soon be coming to Arizona.
There has rightly been a great deal of discussion about the Republican election-rigging laws impact the ability of people to vote, but an even more sinister element of these bills is the awarding of control over the electoral process to partisan politicians.
The Department of Justice is signaling that they are about to get involved and joining lawsuits suing the Republican-run states for their latest wave of voter suppression,
However, the federal government must do more. Legislation must be passed to ensure free and fair elections in each state. Both the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For The People Act must become law.
Republicans are disempowering African-Americans in Georgia. These laws are all about hanging a whites-only sign over the ballot box and destroying equal access to the democratic process.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
