Candace Smith, an Atlanta attorney and voting rights advocate, experienced a voter challenge during the 2024 Georgia state primary. Although she was able to resolve the issue, she highlighted the potential barriers such challenges could pose to less knowledgeable voters. Citizen voter challenges have become a mass movement in Georgia, disproportionately impacting voters of color, particularly Black voters. Recent election laws like SB 202 and SB 189 have allowed activists to challenge voter registrations in unprecedented numbers.
SB 202 codified the ability for individuals to challenge an unlimited number of voter registrations, leading to widespread intimidation tactics and disenfranchisement. SB 189 further exacerbated the issue by failing to place restrictions on evidence submitted, the number of challenges individuals can make, or requiring challengers to be state residents. This has created chaos for local election boards and wasted officials’ time.
Election conspiracy theorists have used technology like EagleAI to challenge voter registrations, targeting marginalized communities. Civil rights groups criticize these tactics as new iterations of voter suppression efforts that attack minority voter access. For voters of color, being challenged can evoke painful reminders of past discrimination. The rise of mass voter challenges has created a climate of suspicion and skepticism in Georgia elections, contributing to a larger narrative of election denialism and disenfranchisement.
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