For Immediate Release
May 8, 2024
(646) 673-4191
Statement from New Georgia Project Action Fund After Gov. Kemp Signed Elections Omnibus SB 189 into Law
(Atlanta, GA) – New Georgia Project Action Fund released the following statement after Governor Brian Kemp signed into law SB 189, a bill that will make it harder for some voters to get to the polls and for elections officials to do their jobs.
“New Georgia Project Action Fund (NGPAF) is disappointed—but not surprised—to see another harmful elections bill get signed into law by our governor Brian Kemp. Georgia is a state well known for voter suppression at every level of government and Kemp shows his commitment time and time again to keeping it that way. NGPAF and our coalition of grassroots partners have been working tirelessly against SB 189 and its harmful provisions that will disrupt the voter registration process for unhoused people, make the jobs of elections workers more overwhelming and stressful, and make voter challenges easier and even more frivolous than they already are.
‘This move is exactly what we’ve come to expect from Brian Kemp,’ said NGPAF Policy Director, Stephanie Jackson Ali. ‘He’s proven over and over again that he does not want to make it easier to vote in Georgia. Grassroots organizers in Georgia are always doing the power-building work of standing up for voters and election workers, and this move by the governor is a way to keep the status quo of voter suppression intact in our state. SB 189 should not have even made it out of legislative session, but thanks to election deniers and GOP lawmakers intent on making it harder to vote, it did and now it’s law. SB 189 targets unhoused members of the community, making it harder for them to register to vote and to stay on the rolls. It makes false voter challenges easier and requires new and confusing provisions for election workers who already work in an underfunded and scrutinized field. Our state leaders need to focus on expanding access to the ballot box and uplifting Georgia’s unsung election workers during this critical election year, not creating more chaos and confusion right before voters go to the polls. Our grassroots coalition has been sounding the alarm on SB 189 for months, yet the governor still refuses to unclog his ears to hear it.’
NGPAF will continue to help register voters and give them all the resources they need to safely and confidently cast their ballot. We’ll also remind Georgia voters that every seat in the state legislature is up for election this year. We’ll make sure voters know who stood up for voting rights and who wanted to further the historic and current reality of voter suppression in Georgia when they go to the polls this May and in November.”
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