Read a PDF of our statement here.

ATLANTA — All Voting is Local Georgia, Campaign Legal Center (CLC), the 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

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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF. Follow LDF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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