March 27, 2025
Before going to the polls for midterm elections, Georgia residents should check their registration.
Georgia voters may find an unexpected hurdle the next time they head to the polls.
The Georgia legislature plans to cancel an estimated 455,000 voter registrations, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The move would mark one of the largest voter purges in U.S. history. The cancellations will apply to inactive voters — those who have not participated in elections for several years.
The Georgia secretary of state’s office said the purge is part of an effort to maintain accurate voter rolls.
“We do this to keep our voter list accurate,” Georgia Secretary of State Blake Evans told the AJC. “We want to have the most up-to-date voter list in the country.”
However, the decision is drawing criticism from voting rights advocates. Georgia has a “use it or lose it” law, which requires voters to participate in elections at least once every five years or risk removal from voter rolls. While legal, the practice has led to concerns about disenfranchisement, particularly among minority, low-income, and elderly voters who may not vote in every election but still meet residency requirements.
Helen Butler, a voting rights advocate and executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, warned that such purges could strip eligible voters of their rights.
“I’m really concerned that eligible voters will be removed when they shouldn’t be,” Butler said. “If you still live in Georgia and are a resident, you should be able to vote.”
Voter roll purges have been a contentious issue nationwide, with critics arguing they disproportionately affect marginalized communities. The Brennan Center for Justice found that between 2016 and 2018, Georgia purged more than 1.4 million voter registrations, one of the highest rates in the country.
Efforts to monitor unfair voting practices remain ongoing, as advocates push for clearer notification processes and opportunities for reinstatement before voters are removed from the rolls.
Removing eligible voters from registration is not the only form of disenfranchisement watchdog groups are monitoring. On March 10, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that Virginia officials proposed closing polling locations in Appomattox County, a move that could disproportionately affect Black voters.
The Appomattox County Board of Elections proposed shutting down precincts 201 and 502, both of which serve a significant portion of the state’s Black population. If approved, the closures would force residents to travel farther to cast their ballots, potentially creating barriers to voting access.
Virginia is not alone in facing scrutiny for polling place reductions. Similar actions in other states have raised concerns about voter suppression, particularly in communities of color. A 2019 Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights report found that between 2012 and 2018, nearly 1,700 polling places were closed across the country, with many closures concentrated in states with histories of voter suppression.
Voting rights advocates argue that reducing polling locations can lead to longer wait times, increased transportation barriers, and lower voter turnout, especially in rural and low-income areas. As states prepare for upcoming elections, civil rights groups continue to challenge efforts they say make it harder for marginalized communities to exercise their right to vote.
RELATED CONTENT: Voting Precinct Closures Threaten To Disenfranchise Black Voters In Virginia
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