ATLANTA (March 25, 2021) | In response to Senate Bill 202 being signed into law, the Election Integrity Act of 2021, Georgia Legislative Black Caucus Chair Sen. Tonya Anderson (D – Lithonia) issues the following statement:
“Senate Bill 202 is yet another anti-voting omnibus bill. Like House Bill 531 and Senate Bill 241, it represents a blatant attempt to undermine our democracy, our voters, and our electoral process.
These bills are part of a nefarious, concerted, national effort to suppress the vote of millions. Currently, there are over 250 anti-voting bills introduced in 43 states. Why? There is no legitimate report, investigation, inquiry, or audit that uncovers any conspiracy to commit voter fraud or rig an election in favor of a candidate. There is no evidence of any widespread malfunctioning of machinery or human error leading to unintended outcomes. Yet, here we are today, witnessing a takeover of the electoral process to ensure those in power stay in power regardless of the collateral damage such actions may cause our state.
In 2020, the Secretary of State and the State Election Board worked with local election officials to improve processes for obtaining an absentee ballot, establishing drop boxes, utilizing large venues as early voting sites, allowing non-profits to provide food and water to citizens waiting on line to vote, and other steps to ensure COVID-19 did not prevent Georgians from exercising their civic duty.
As well, local election superintendents used innovative approaches to provide voters a safe and secure election experience, sought additional resources to address unexpected costs, worked tirelessly to make sure every vote was properly accounted for, participated in numerous recounts, audits, and investigations so any questions about the election outcome are resolved, and anything else required to preserve our democracy.
Yet, here we are today, having adopted sweeping election reform to remedy concerns that cannot be substantiated and to punish public servants who put our state before partisanship.
Under this new law, the Georgia General Assembly will consolidate power and authority over our elections. The state legislature, at least those in power, will have the ability to appoint the State Election Board chair, remove local election superintendents who commit violations over two election cycles, overrule State Election Board emergency rules, reduce runoff elections to 28 days, all while imposing unfunded mandates upon local governments.
Beyond this power grab, the legislation criminalizes civic engagement. The role of non-profit organizations to register voters, inform Georgians of their rights, provide information on how and where to vote, offer comfort when waiting on lines, and protect electors from voter intimidation and/or suppression was instrumental. Since 2016, our state witnessed an increase of 500,000 registered voters. In 2020, over five million voters went to the polls. This is in no small part to the numerous non-profits that believe in democracy and exercising our Constitutional rights. SB 202 does not support civic engagement, it demonizes it.
SB 202 claims to “make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.” I disagree. It makes it easy to cheat and hard to vote, the latter being especially true for Blacks, Latinos, Asians, young people, and seniors.
The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus is prepared to fight until the end.”
Established in 1975, the GLBC is a 501(c)3 non-profit, nonpartisan organization comprising of 65 Georgia House and Senate members.
For more information about the GLBC, please visit www.gablackcaucus.org or write to media@gablackcaucus.org.
# # # #
For Immediate Release:
Mar. 25, 2021
Kami Briden, Sr. Communications Associate
404.656.0028