State Watch

Abrams posts 6-minute video of objections to Georgia voting law after being cut off by Kennedy

Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams on Tuesday tweeted a nearly six-minute video that continued her list of objections to Georgia’s new controversial voting law after she was cut off by a Republican senator during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing last week. 

During the hearing on voting rights, Republican Sen. John Kennedy (La.) asked Abrams to give him a “list of the provisions that you object to.” 

The voting rights activist then proceeded to state several components with which she took issue, including limits on the number of ballot drop box locations in the Peach State and a provision of the law that allows precincts to have shortened voting windows, which Abrams argued “may have an effect on voters who cannot vote during business hours.” 

Before she could continue, Kennedy interrupted, “OK, I get the idea. I get the idea.” 

On Tuesday, Abrams opted to continue her testimony in a video, in which she outlined additional components of the law that she argues place unfair restrictions on certain segments of voters, including communities of color and low-income residents. 

“Thank you senator, for that question,” she began in the video. “I know we got cut off before, so let me continue.”

Abrams went on to address the law’s provision that prohibits non-election workers from handing out food or water to voters within 150 feet of polling places. 

The founder of voting rights advocacy group Fair Fight Action added that the election bill signed into law last month by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) also “codifies voter caging, meaning that an individual can challenge the eligibility of an unlimited number of voters in their county.”

Abrams also argued that the law strips powers away from Georgia’s secretary of state in overseeing elections, grants more authority to the state legislature in local elections and also mandates that all voters provide a photo ID when submitting an absentee ballot. 

Abrams throughout the video included clips from her viral interaction with Kennedy last week, including when he asked, “Is that everything?”

In Tuesday’s video, Abrams responded, “Nope. With all due respect, I’m not done yet, senator.”

Abrams went on to point out more restrictive measures that Republicans attempted to pass in earlier versions of the Georgia bill. 

“Let’s not forget that Republicans wanted to eliminate Sunday voting, but we stopped them,” Abrams said. “And Republicans wanted to eliminate no excuses absentee voting, but we stopped them. And Republicans wanted to eliminate automatic voter registration.” 

“But, wait for it, we stopped them,” she added. 

Kemp and Republican lawmakers in Georgia have argued that the voting law is meant to restore confidence in the integrity of the state’s electoral system, which was repeatedly called into question by former President Trump and his allies in the 2020 election through unsupported claims of widespread voter fraud.

Abrams has been one of the leaders in opposing the new law, which has also prompted calls to boycott businesses and events based in the state.

Tags Brian Kemp Donald Trump Fair Fight Action Georgia Georgia voting law John Kennedy Peach State Polling places Senate Judiciary Committee Stacey Abrams Twitter voter ID

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