University of Georgia reverses, will allow on-campus early voting
The University of Georgia (UGA) reversed course Thursday, saying it will allow in-person early voting on campus.
UGA spokesman Greg Trevor said in a statement that the school is offering Stegeman Coliseum in Athens as an early voting site to elections officials and that it would “facilitate on-campus voting in this indoor venue, which is large enough to support safe social distancing.”
— UGA (@universityofga) September 17, 2020
The reverse in course comes after school groups and local leaders criticized UGA for allowing in-person sports activities but not in-person voting.
Among the critics were Stacey Abrams, a former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate who launched a petition on the issue Wednesday with her organization Fair Fight.
“From the student perspective, it’s definitely disappointing to see UGA prioritize football games, and just how long and hard they’ve been working to get those in the works and get to a good point where everyone is comfortable,” Juliet Eden, a UGA student and communications director of Fair Fight UGA, told CNN in a story published Wednesday.
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“It’s hard to not see them fight just as hard to provide a safe environment for the on-campus early voting.”
Georgia is a Republican-leaning state where Democrats hope to make inroads during the November election. The Cook Political Report lists the state as a “toss up” in the presidential race.
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