Atlanta Mayor's Executive Order Mitigates Impact Of Voting Law

ATLANTA, GA — Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order Tuesday night aimed at mitigating the effects of new statewide restrictions that she said disproportionally impacts the city’s residents.

The executive order ensures that every Atlanta resident has an opportunity to exercise their right to vote, the order reads. It also directs Atlanta’s Chief Equity Officer to implement a series of actions that will limit the impact of restrictions that are laid out in Senate Bill 202.

The plan of action that will be carried out by the equity officer expands opportunity and access to the ballot box in several ways, according to the order. Those measures include but are not limited to:

• Coordinating with ATL311 and the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services to train staff members on voter registration and general information on early, absentee and in-person voting and then communicate that information to city residents.
• Coordinating with the Operational Departments to include QR Codes or links to websites providing information regarding voter registration and absentee voting in water bills and other mailings.
• Working with corporate and community partners to develop and implement Public Service Announcements and other communications to provide clarity on new voting related deadlines and timelines.

“The voting restrictions of SB 202 will disproportionately impact Atlanta residents—particularly in communities of color and other minority groups,” Bottoms said in a news release. “This Administrative Order is designed to do what those in the majority of the state legislature did not—expand access to our right to vote.”

Senate Bill 202, known as the Election Integrity Act, was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemplast month and, according to Kemp, ensures the integrity of the election process. Kemp defended the bill earlier this week after Major League Baseball announced on Saturday that it was pulling its All-Star Game and draft out of the state because of the new law.

Kemp called the decision “ridiculous” and said that, "Secure, accessible, fair elections are worth the threats.They are worth the boycotts, as well as the lawsuits," Kemp said.

But as the controversial bill faces backlash outside of the state as Kemp defends it, Bottoms said that her executive order is meant to keep the voting rights of Atlanta residents intact. Georgia Republicans have also defended Kemp’s bill, saying that Georgia’s voting laws are less restrictive than in other states. Bottoms said her order will ensure that Atlanta residents are able to vote without any restrictions that are outlined in Kemp's bill.

"Regardless of party affiliation, all Atlanta residents deserve to not only cast their vote, but do so in a safe, open and accessible manner," Bottoms said in a statement. "The dysfunction we saw across the state during the Primary was unacceptable. In 2020, we should be making it easier for people to exercise their Constitutional right to vote—because access to the polls is access to our democracy."