Stacey Abrams Sues Georgia Election Officials to Fix Broken System

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A new political action committee (PAC) backed by Georgia’s 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit against Georgia election officials. The suit is requesting that a judge order that extensive problems in the state’s election system be fixed.

The PAC, Fair Fight Action, accuses Georgia election officials of grossly mismanaging the state’s election for governor on November 6, which Abrams lost to Republican Brian Kemp.

The 65-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court said that the State Election Board failed to help every eligible voter participate and cast a ballot that would be counted. This deprived Georgia voters, particularly black and minority voters, of their right to vote.

“Without the right to vote, all other democratic rights are illusory,” the complaint reads. “In the 2018 General Election, Georgia’s election officials broke that compact. The Secretary of State and State Election Board grossly mismanaged the election that deprived Georgia citizens, and particularly citizens of color, of their fundamental right to vote. This complaint describes the serious and unconstitutional flaws in Georgia’s elections process—flaws that exist today.”

The secretary of state’s office responded by citing increased voter registration in Georgia.

“With a record high of 7,000,000 people on Georgia’s voter rolls and unprecedented voter turnout in November’s midterm election, it has never been easier to register to vote or make your voice heard at the ballot box in our state,” spokeswoman Candice Broce said in a statement. “Along with thousands of local elections and registration officials across our state, we remain committed to secure, accessible, and fair elections for all voters.”

Abrams had announced her new PAC and plans for the lawsuit in her speech on November 16 when she reluctantly acknowledged that Kemp had won the race for governor.

Fair Fight Action will advocate for election reform, voter education and increasing voter turnout. The group is to be led by Lauren Wroh-Gargo, Abrams’ campaign manager.

“Today, Fair Fight Action filed litigation on behalf of thousands of Georgians in the quest for free and fair elections,” Wroh-Gargo said. “This lawsuit demands massive reforms to Georgia elections. Through this litigation and other efforts, Fair Fight Action will continue to advance voting rights in our state.”

Since Brian Kemp and the Republican Party of Georgia used every dirty trick in the book to suppress Democratic voters in 2018, it is clear that changes must be made. The techniques they used this year have been used since the end of the Civil War to deny blacks the right to vote. Now is the time for these wrongs to be rectified, and for every citizen of Georgia to be treated fairly and given the right to vote.

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Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.