#NNPA BlackPress

PRESS ROOM: The DCCC, DSCC, Democratic Party of Georgia Announce Victory Against Unlawful Georgia Ballot Procedures

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Flawed procedures remained in place even as more Georgians vote absentee. In 2018, nearly 285,000 voters returned an absentee ballot compared to 246,000 in the 2016 presidential election. The disenfranchisement of voters who cast absentee ballots has a disproportionate impact on African American and minority voters: in Gwinnett County, 49% of rejected absentee ballots were cast by African American and Hispanic/Latino voters.

Published

4 years ago

March 11, 2020

Oakland Post

Despite a series of reforms following the 2018 elections, Georgia has not standardized how election officials notify voters that their ballots were rejected. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)

Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Party of Georgia announced victory in their lawsuit challenging Georgia’s absentee ballot procedures that lack enforceable standards and disenfranchise voters who cast absentee ballots.

Despite a series of reforms following the 2018 elections, Georgia has not standardized how election officials notify voters that their ballots were rejected. The lack of enforceable standards for both time and method mean voters’ legitimate ballots are too often thrown out based on an incorrect finding by election officials that their signatures don’t match and are not given sufficient notice to correct or “cure” their ballots — and their votes are not counted. Democrats filed a lawsuit in November 2019 challenging Georgia’s lack of standards that create an unequal and unlawful absentee ballot curing procedure.

The flawed procedures remained in place even as more Georgians vote absentee. In 2018, nearly 285,000 voters returned an absentee ballot compared to 246,000 in the 2016 presidential election. The disenfranchisement of voters who cast absentee ballots has a disproportionate impact on African American and minority voters: in Gwinnett County, 49% of rejected absentee ballots were cast by African American and Hispanic/Latino voters.

“A huge victory for all Georgians, this decision further secures each citizen their constitutionally guaranteed right to the ballot box,” said DPG Chair Nikema Williams. “While Georgia Republicans continue to try and deny law-abiding citizens their right to vote, Georgia Democrats will keep fighting to make sure every Georgian can make their voice heard in this election.”

“This settlement will give Georgians peace of mind that their votes will be counted and that they won’t lose their voices because of flawed state election laws”, DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos said. “Voters shouldn’t have their votes discounted because a state’s election laws fail to ensure every ballot – no matter who casts it – is treated the same.”

With more and more Georgians voting absentee, this is an important victory that will help ensure voters have an opportunity to correct any issues with their ballots and are not disenfranchised,” said DSCC Chair Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. “We will continue to stand up for voting rights and win these fights so voters can make their voices heard and every ballot is counted fairly in 2020.”

Georgia’s Secretary of State and State Board of Elections have agreed to notify voters by email, phone, and mail within three days, or by the next business day during the eleven days before Election Day if their ballots are rejected and an opportunity to cure. They have also agreed to more reasonable standards for matching signatures on absentee ballots that prevent fewer absentee ballots from being wrongly thrown out.

Gwinnett County has agreed to simplify their absentee ballot envelopes by printing clearer text on larger envelopes.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

What are the added expenses of owning a home?

Don't Miss

EXCLUSIVE — RNC: ‘President Understands Importance of the Black Vote,’ Hires Paris Dennard to Engage Black Community

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.

Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.

Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.

Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”

Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.

“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”

The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.

Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.

President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.

Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.

Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.

The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.

Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.

Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.

Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.

Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.

The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.

The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.

In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.

The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.

The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy

May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.