Stacey Abrams’ historic campaign to win Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial race was filled with challenges. One of these, as NBC News reports, came when her party was accused of hacking the state's voter registration system by Republicans. Tuesday, the former candidate revealed another came on Election Day, when she says she had trouble voting.
In an interview with NPR’s Morning Edition, the Democrat said when she went to the polls, an election worker told her she couldn't cast a ballot because she'd submitted an absentee ballot.
She had done no such thing, however, and asked to speak to the head election judge.
"I did it quietly. I didn't turn it into a major conversation because, for me, it was about getting through the process," Abrams said. With the press filming her voting, she said, "I was not trying to embarrass anyone, but I did want it fixed."
Abrams said the incident made her think about her fellow Georgians who lack the sort of clout she possesses, and that she worries about voting rights in the state.
"It was also emblematic to me of the privilege that I have," Abrams said. "I know the law … There are thousands, millions in Georgia who do not know what their rights are and therefore do not know that they shouldn't have to wait in four-hour lines in the rain with their children. They shouldn't have to worry about whether they will lose their jobs in order to exercise their democratic right to vote for their leaders."
The former candidate plans to focus on election reform now that the campaign is over. She announced the formation of Fair Fight Georgia Friday, a group that will use legal challenges and activism to change the way Georgia operates its elections. She told NPR the number of election errors made by the office of the secretary of state in part pushed her to create the organization.
"The totality of the errors made, of the gross mismanagement, of the incompetence — 1.5 million people purged [from voter rolls], 53,000 [votes] put on hold, 3,000 denied the right to register as new citizens, long polling lines, misplaced provisional ballots — the totality of the issues demonstrates that there has been gross mismanagement of our elections," Abrams said.
Despite calling out these mistakes, Abrams was careful not to delegitimize the results of the race.
"I'm not suggesting that I know I would have won [had the errors not occurred], but I am saying that the results were unalterably made less safe and less secure because of the actions taken by the secretary of state," she said.
But now that the election is over, Abrams just hopes Brian Kemp, Georgia's new governor, will collaborate with her on ensuring everyone in the Peach State is able to vote fairly and with ease.
“My hope is [Kemp] will stand with me to improve the integrity of our elections, to demonstrate that he is a man of goodwill who wants people to be able to cast their votes no matter where they live, no matter who they vote for,” Abrams said.
Now, check these out:
Judge Rules Brian Kemp Must Allow Georgians Flagged As 'Noncitizens' To Vote Days Before Election
Over 2 Million Georgia Residents Cast Early Votes For The 2018 Midterm Elections
