The NAACP Georgia State Conference recently claimed a victory for voters in the State of Georgia. In the case GA NAACP, et al v. State of Georgia and Brian Kemp, the Court entered a Consent Order on Tuesday, October 17th, 2017, that the State will no longer be able to cut off voter registration beyond 30 days of any federal elections, including in federal runoff elections. Also, the State must use a shorter registration deadline if a shorter deadline is provided under state law.
In April, the Georgia State Conference originally sued to correct a State Law that required persons to register three months prior to a federal runoff election in order to vote– in violation of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
“This Consent Order is the latest in a string of victories the NAACP has achieved in securing the rights of voters,” said NAACP interim President and CEO, Derrick Johnson. “We have succeeded in reversing what was obviously a blatant attempt to curb thousands of votes by disregarding national law.”
Georgia has a population that is roughly 30 percent African American, and with the recent Consent Order, the NAACP has ensured that black voters in Georgia are now afforded the rights guaranteed by the NVRA.
“The NAACP is ecstatic over the court order granting full relief in the Voter registration runoff case,” said Phyllis Blake, the NAACP’s Georgia State Conference President. “We will continue to remind citizens of their rights to register and vote in runoff Elections. Kudos to the Lawyers Committee, our partner for their successful litigation.”
The Consent Order continues a winning streak for the NAACP in its fight for voting rights during the Trump administration. Since summer, the NAACP has filed similar lawsuits in Indiana, Texas, and Louisiana.
