Voter Access

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Bottoms issues order expanding voting access in wake of senate bill

By Collin Kelley

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has signed an administrative order to mitigate the impact of new voting restrictions imposed by controversial Senate Bill 202.

“The voting restrictions of SB 202 will disproportionately impact Atlanta residents—particularly in communities of color and other minority groups,” Bottoms said in a statement. “This administrative order is designed to do what those Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the majority of the state legislature did not — expand access to our right to vote.”

The order directs the city’s Chief Equity Officer to develop a plan of action to expand opportunity and access to the ballot box, including: ■ Coordinating with ATL311 and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services to provide training to staff members on voter registration and general information on early, absentee, and in-person voting, in order that they may communicate this information to residents. ■ Coordinating with ATL311 and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services to disseminate information to residents on how to obtain the forms of identification required for absentee voting. ■ Coordinating with the Operational Departments to include QR Codes or links to websites providing information regarding voter registration and absentee voting in water bills and other mailings. ■ Working with corporate and community partners to develop and implement public service announcements and other communications to provide clarity on new voting related deadlines and timelines.

The administrative order comes in the wake of corporate backlash against the restrictive new voting laws and Major League Baseball moving this summer’s AllStar Game from Atlanta The voting restrictions of SB 202 to Denver, Colorado. will disproportionately impact The new voting law, Atlanta residents—particularly in signed by Gov. communities of color and other Brian Kemp on March 25, has minority groups already drawn a flurry of lawsuits Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms from civil rights organizations who claim the measures will impact the ability of Black people to vote.

The law imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes, allows for unlimited challenges to a voter’s qualifications, cuts the runoff election period from nine to four weeks, shortens the time voters have to request an absentee ballot, and even criminalizes giving food and water to voters waiting in line at polling places.