Election board rejects plan that would have closed 7 of 9 polling locations in black-majority county
Seven of its 9 polling locations will stay open ahead of the November midterms.
An election board in Georgia voted against a controversial proposal Friday that would have shut down seven of nine polling locations in a black-majority county, according to a report.
The Randolph County Elections Board rejected the proposal to close the precincts, ABC affiliate WSB in Atlanta reported. Critics said it would have reduced the turnout of black voters, who make up a majority of the county and many of whom would have ended up finding the remaining open precincts too remote to be accessible.
“In the United States, the right to vote is sacred,” the board said in a statement after the vote, according to WSB. “The interest and concern shown has been overwhelming, and it is an encouraging reminder that protecting the right to vote remains a fundamental American principle."
An election consultant had proposed shutting down the locations to save the county money; he added that the precincts were not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Both the Stacey Abrams campaign, a Democrat, and the Brian Kemp campaign, a Republican, applauded the decision.
"Today is a triumph, not just for the people of Randolph County, but for every Georgian. In a predominantly Black, rural community, where public transportation is severely lacking, asking voters to travel up to 30 miles to access the ballot box would have been antithetical to our democratic values," a statement from Abrams said.
"I applaud Randolph County on its decision keep all nine of its polling locations open—and I recommit to ensuring that all eligible Georgians in every region of our state have access the ballot box, to cast their votes and make their voices heard."
Kemp, the current state secretary of state, said he was the first elected official in Georgia to publicly oppose the proposal.
"I was the first elected official in Georgia to publicly oppose the plan to close Republican-leaning precincts in Randolph County, which is under Democratic rule," the statement from his campaign said.
"Today, the Board of Elections, who are empowered to make these decisions, finally did the right thing and rejected this ill-advised, poorly timed proposal from an independent consultant who is not backed by the Secretary of State's office."
Randolph County is a Democratic stronghold in Georgia and important for Abrams' chance to upset the incumbent party.
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