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Time and time again, systems of white supremacy are created or reinforced as a reaction to progress on the road to racial equity -- from the Jim Crow voting laws instituted after ratification of the 15th Amendment, to the coordinated effort to gerrymander maps immediately following the election of our first Black president.
Voter suppression is rooted in racism. Just look at Georgia.
The current runoff system in Georgia was first implemented in 1963 after the Supreme Court ruled that the state's previous electoral system unfairly diluted the power of Black voters in cities like Atlanta in violation of the 14th Amendment. But the new system didn't fix the problem of inequity; it continued it. Not only is the runoff system a relic of the Jim Crow era, the segregationist state legislator who proposed adopting the runoff system later admitted he was "racially prejudiced" and some of his political activity was "racially motivated".
Immediately following the 2008 election, conservatives invested heavily in winning state legislative races in order to control redistricting. Their efforts were successful -- for the first time ever, Republicans controlled the Georgia redistricting process. The resulting gerrymandered map was described by John Lewis as "an affront to the spirit and the letter of the Voting Rights Act."
In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted key protections in the Voting Rights Act that helped prevent voter suppression. Since then, hundreds of polling locations have closed in Georgia, we've seen unprecedented efforts to purge voters off registration rolls, and voters have experienced hours-long lines in areas with more voters of color.
Despite all these obstacles, Georgians set voter turnout records in November 2020 and again in January's runoff election -- thanks to the tireless efforts of Black grassroots organizers who worked to engage, register, and turn out their communities in record numbers.
But as President Obama has warned, one good election will not eliminate threats to our democracy.
Conservative state legislators in Georgia have already committed to restricting absentee voting and eliminating ballot drop boxes -- key provisions that make voting more accessible. It is not a coincidence that after 15 years of no-excuse absentee voting in Georgia, conservatives are calling to end the practice after an election cycle when high Black turnout was the deciding factor of their party's losses.
We need to restore accountability in our government. Right now.
Ending gerrymandering in states like Georgia is essential to breaking the cycle of voter suppression and restoring accountability in our democracy. Help All On The Line train and empower grassroots volunteers to peacefully and effectively hold politicians accountable.
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Demand accountability: Add your name to demand the resignation of the 147 representatives and senators who attempted to overturn election results -- after the violent insurrection that disrupted the peaceful transition of power.
Submit a letter to the editor: Help educate your community about democracy reform. We've drafted a template LTE about how the For the People Act can help restore our democracy. Our tool will let you customize the letter and submit it to your local newspaper.
Contact Congress: The U.S. House of Representatives reintroduced the For the People Act (H.R. 1) which would provide much-needed democracy reforms on redistricting, voting rights, ethics, election laws, and election security. Our tool will connect you with your members of Congress and provide suggested language on how to advocate for this bill.
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