Stacey Abrams defended her allegation that Georgia’s voting reform bill was “Jim Crow 2.0” on Thursday, despite record-breaking voter turnout in her state.
Abrams, a candidate for governor of the state, was a vehement opponent of SB 202, the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which was signed into law in March 2021 by her Republican opponent, Governor Brian Kemp.
Contrary to her grave predictions, Georgia has had the highest early voting rates in history.
Abrams told MSNBC on Thursday evening that her warnings were still true and that voters were showing up despite the new law.
She stated, “Let’s be clear, they are participating despite SB 202’s obstacles.”
Despite the racially motivated voting challenges permitted under SB202.
Despite hurdles to absentee voting, black voters utilized them in large numbers in 2018 and 2021. Until time was condensed and the procedure became more convoluted.’
Abrams stated that black voters are crossing ‘barriers’ to cast ballots because they see the importance of this election.
She acknowledged that the turnout was extraordinary, even among those she claimed would be most negatively affected by the election reform.
On October 26, Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state of his state, reported that over one million people had already voted.
Since the first day of early voting this year, Georgia has experienced record early voting participation, with nearly double the number recorded on the first day of early voting in 2018.
“By taking advantage of the extraordinary array of Early Voting choices accessible to all Georgians, Georgia voters are bestowing a huge blessing to their county election directors,” Raffensperger remarked. Reducing the burden on the counties is essential for a safe, accessible, and secure election.
Abrams agreed that it was extraordinary.
She stated, “The figures are astonishing.” 91.8 percent of black men participated in the 2020 general election, according to our data.
We have observed a 90% participation rate among black women. These are the two highest voter concentrations.’
Abrams has long contended that the bill will disenfranchise voters by, among other provisions, making it optional for polling locations to be open on Sundays and mandating that drop boxes will only be accessible during early voting days and hours instead of 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
She tweeted on March 25, 2021, “Now more than ever, we need federal action to defend voting rights as we continue to battle against these patently unconstitutional efforts that are nothing less than Jim Crow 2.0.”
Joe Biden shared her sentiments when he told an Atlanta rally in January, “What is their endgame? To transform the will of the voters into a mere suggestion that states can either respect or disregard.
He continued, “Jim Crow 2.0 is about two sneaky practices: voter suppression and election subversion.”
It is no longer about who can vote; it is about making voting more difficult.
It is about who counts the votes and whether or not your vote counts.
This is not an exaggeration; it is a fact.
The White House defended Biden’s remarks last week, noting that high voter turnout and voter suppression can occur simultaneously.
The communications secretary for the White House, Karine Jean-Pierre, stated that both high voting participation and voter suppression are possible.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, at least seven states implemented ten legislation in 2022 that make voting more difficult; five of these measures are in force for the midterm elections.
Jean-Pierre stated, “The president has made it abundantly obvious that, based on The Big Lie, there have been a plethora of anti-voter legislation in some states that attack the fundamental right of Americans to vote.”
This goes against our most fundamental ideals.
“Of course, large voting turnout and voter suppression can occur simultaneously,” she noted.
One does not need to occur on its own. It is possible for it to occur concurrently.
She refused to provide additional information, citing the Hatch Act, which prohibits government employees from engaging in political action on the job.
The Georgia data have been seized upon by Republicans as justification for their 2021 revision of state election law.
Tate Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Kemp team, stated that the voter turnout is unprecedented, but Stacey Abrams continues to perpetuate the notion of voter suppression.
Abrams responds to this taunt, despite the fact that she, too, is ecstatic with the huge early turnout.
Last week, Abrams stated, “More people in the ocean does not mean there are less sharks.”