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COVINGTON, Ga — Conyers-Covington Alumni Chapter (CCAC) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. has been working to extend consciousness in regards to the significance of exercising the suitable to vote this yr.
The CCAC just lately hosted a voter registration drive at Newton Excessive Faculty.
Rockdale and Newton residents additionally gathered at Eastside Excessive Faculty just lately for the CCAC’s Kappa Koffeehouse City Corridor Discussion board Collection to listen to county Board of Elections representatives and different nonprofit panelists clarify the impression of Georgia’s Election Integrity Act of 2021 legislation.
“We’re actively concerned with the group with voter registration training. We need to improve the notice inside the group in regards to the significance of participating in our democratic course of,” stated Minister JB Brockman, chairman of the CCAC’s Political Motion & Civic Committee.
The viewers on the Eastside occasion included quite a few county elected officers who had been current to hearken to and work together with these in attendance.
Displays and views had been shared by Phil Johnson, chairman of the Newton County Board of Elections; Cynthia Willingham, supervisor of the Rockdale County Board of Elections & Voter Registration Workplace; and Hillary Holley, organizing director of Truthful Struggle Motion, throughout the occasion introduced by the Conyers-Covington Alumni Chapter (CCAC) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.
Johnson stated Newton County has 85,000 registered voters and 22 precincts.
“Elections are the bedrock of our democracy, and it’s important that we’ve as nice a participation within the voting course of as we will … 2020 was an instance of after we received monumental voter participation,” he stated.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a big position within the 2020 elections participation and the creation of the legislation, which was created by Senate Invoice 202. That impression was recognized intimately by Willingham.
“How did we really get to SB 202? With COVID in 2020, beginning with the March Presidential Major (which was postponed twice to June 9, 2020), due to the rise in COVID circumstances, our secretary of state on April 20, 2020, determined to ship out 6.9 million absentee purposes to our voters.
“They realized that it will be a well being threat to have 6.9 million folks coming in and voting early, in particular person with the rise in our COVID circumstances … so this was instrumental for us to guard our employees.
“For Rockdale County, usually we might concern not more than 2,000 (absentee) ballots, nevertheless for June of 2020 we issued 14,000 mail ballots,” Willingham stated.
With out grant funding many Rockdale voters wouldn’t have obtained their ballots, she stated. Beneath the brand new legislation, counties now not can obtain non-public funding.
“The non-public grant funds allowed us to herald extra assist to assist(Rockdale) to course of these requests,” she stated.
The Election Integrity Act of 2021 was born in such an atmosphere by Georgia Republican legislators and signed into legislation by Gov. Brian Kemp on March 25, 2021.
Johnson stated, “The best impression (of the Election Integrity Act of 2021) on voters had been the adjustments to the absentee poll. It decreased the variety of days in which you’ll apply for an absentee poll, eradicated the sending of an software to each registered voter within the state, eradicated skill of nonprofits to ship out purposes for absentee ballots…persons are going to must be extra proactive earlier within the course of.”
Holley stated, “Now we have to coach folks on each single alternative, each technique of voting that’s accessible. Folks can’t begin pondering of voting (and) when they will vote, the day earlier than election day; you need to begin excited about it now.
“I feel having group occasions like this, that spotlight the voter training moderately than the detrimental impacts, that’s how we maintain folks collaborating on this course of.”
Dr. Robert Hughes, president of CCAC, stated, “As residents are making ready for the upcoming major election season, you will need to handle any excellent voter issues that will want readability in understanding present voting and elections processes. Tonight’s discussion board supplies our group with direct entry to professionals who’re working to make sure honest and environment friendly voting experiences on the polls and past.”
Brockman closed the night by inviting residents to the following Kappa Koffeehouse City Corridor scheduled for June.
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