A 2018 voting rights lawsuit is finally headed trial years after it was first filed by then-gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams following her loss to Brian Kemp.
The lawsuit claims that Georgia’s voting laws are discriminatory and unconstitutional and alleged widespread voter suppression during the 2018 midterm election. The lawsuit was first filed by Abrams’ advocacy organization Fair Fight Action, following her loss to Kemp, but a series of court rulings crossed out many of the claims made by the group, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
US District Judge Steve Jones said in court Monday (November 29) that the two-week proceedings could start the week of February 7.
With many of the initial claims eliminated by prior rulings, the case is set to focus on “exact match” voter registration policies, voter roll discrepancies and inconsistent absentee ballot cancellation policies.
“My first goal is to ensure both sides have a fair trial,” Jones said. “We need to bring this case to closure.”
The trial comes ahead of yet another governor’s race in the state, where Abrams and Kemp may face-off once again. In the nearly four years since her loss, Abrams and her organization have been credited with registering an estimated one million voters in the state and was hailed a hero during the 2020 General Election.
“On February 7, the voices of Georgia voters that were silenced by an unconstitutional and racially discriminatory system will be heard in a federal trial,” Fair Fight Action CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo said.
“We look forward to continuing to share the stories of the unconstitutional barriers they have faced resulting from the malfeasance and deliberate indifference from the secretary of state.”
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