
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Tuesday issued an administrative order "to mitigate the impact of new voting restrictions imposed" by Georgia's recently enacted law curbing voting access.
Why it matters: Civil rights groups, Democrats and more than 100 businesses and CEOs have condemned the law.
- The legislation cuts the time period voters have to request absentee ballots and imposes new identification requirements, among other restrictions.
Details: The mayor's order directs Atlanta's chief equity officer to "develop a plan of action within the city's authority to expand opportunity and access to the ballot box."
- This includes providing training to staff members on voter registration and general information on early, absentee, and in-person voting and disseminating information to residents on how to obtain the forms of identification required for absentee voting.
What she's saying: “The voting restrictions of SB 202 will disproportionately impact Atlanta residents — particularly in communities of color and other minority groups,” said Bottoms said in a statement, referring to the restrictions.
- “This Administrative Order is designed to do what those in the majority of the state legislature did not — expand access to our right to vote.”
Bottoms told Axios Re:cap on Tuesday that the order is "going to give us the ability to do everything that we possibly can to help people" vote.
- "We're also going to have to really continue to educate and encourage people to stand in the gap for voters across this state who may not have the ability to cast a vote, meaning we can't go and vote for the president and then wait an additional four years," she added.
- "We've got to show up each and every time in record numbers because there will be some people who won't have access to their absentee ballots, who won't be able to turn their ballots in on time. We've got to stand in the gap for those folks and make a difference in this state."
🎧 Go deeper: Atlanta's mayor on Georgia’s new voting law and its economic toll