Election Protection Project

Final Report Released: "Resolving Recurring Election Administration Problems in Georgia." Find it here. This report sets forth practical steps that can be implemented within Georgia's existing election law framework to help ensure all eligible Georgia citizens have the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot and have that vote counted.

The Challenge

The right of all eligible citizens to vote is fundamental to American democracy. Therefore, any individual or systemic interference with the exercise of this right is an injustice. Historically, such interference has disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic minorities and other disenfranchised groups. Georgia Appleseed's Election Protection Project is designed to identify and overcome impediments to the free exercise of voting rights.

Georgia Appleseed will work jointly with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to coordinate the Election Protection Project in anticipation of the 2012 General Election. The Lawyers' Committee describes Election Protection as the "nation's largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition."

The Election Protection Project involves key issues of law and policy that can be assessed through the signature Georgia Appleseed methodology of objective research, results dissemination and advocacy for change.

Georgia Appleseed's Approach

Georgia Appleseed volunteers will review and summarize the Georgia Election Code to provide an accurate understanding of the law applicable to voting rights in Georgia, including:

Georgia Appleseed will also identify recurring voting issues by reviewing a database maintained by the Lawyers' Committee that compiles reports made to "Our Vote Live," a telephone hotline that has fielded calls with questions and complaints about election issues during each General Election since 2008.

Georgia Appleseed will then work with the Lawyers' Committee and the Georgia Election Protection Coalition to prepare a series of recommended best practices designed to avoid the recurring problems identified in the research phase of the project. These recommendations will then be provided to election officials in an effort to alleviate voter access issues in Georgia.

The Election Protection Project will be spearheaded by Board Liaison Judy O'Brien.

Learn more about your rights as a Georgia voter here.

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