(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Alarm bells have been sounded in Georgia’s presidential primary and down-ballot elections today as state and local officials reacted to the chaos as voters faced long lines and confusion as they attempted to cast their votes in-person. The following is a statement from Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
“We are deeply disturbed by widespread reports of malfunctioning machines, long lines, polling sites that opened late and insufficient numbers of back up paper ballots in Georgia. These problems were avoidable yet recurring problems in Georgia that are resulting in the potential disfranchisement of voters across the state. The state has had its share of voting challenges in the recent past and should have been better prepared for this moment. Based on the high volume of complaints that we have received on our 866-OUR-VOTE hotline, we know well that voters in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb Counties are experiencing a system that is failing them today.”
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. Now in its 56th year, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is continuing its quest to “Move America Toward Justice.” The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and voting rights.
