The nation marked the 50th anniversary of the voting rights act this month, and as many Georgia voters are heading to the polls to determine winners in runoff races, some voting rights organizations are questioning if gains have been erased. Aklima Khondoker is state director of All Voting is Local. She shares her views on the state of voting in Georgia.
“The situation is very dire and I don’t see where Georgia has completely honored its commitment that our civil rights leaders have forged through their fight, thought their relentless hope for a democracy that is more representative of our nation.”
Khondoker says there are steps state leaders can take to improve the situation.
“So what is required right now is for our Secretary of State’s Office to provide the comprehensive guidance to all voters, so people know exactly when a polling place is closed, so they know when that change has been made. Voters all need to have more robust ways to freely access vote by mail. We must have more drop boxes available to more people in more places. We also need to have more poll workers in the state.”
She says voters experiencing problems can reach out to the All Voting is Local organization.
“They can certainly reach out to our national nonpartisan election protection hotline at 866-Our Vote, or 866-687-8683.”
The group says voters should not have to wait more than 30 minutes, since long lines and crowds present barriers to voting as well as a health risk during the pandemic.
