Vice President Harris releases statement on voting rights following Atlanta visit
Vice President Kamala Harris visits Atlanta to promote getting one of the COVID-19 vaccines on June 18, 2021. (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - Vice President Kamala Harris met with community leaders at Clark Atlanta to talk about voting rights during her visit on June 18, 2021.
That event was closed to the press, but a statement was later released.
The statement reads as follows:
Statement From Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson Symone Sanders on Vice President Kamala Harris’s Meeting on Voting Rights in Atlanta, Georgia
Today Vice President Harris met with four voting rights advocates while in Atlanta, Georgia. The advocates gathered are working to support poll workers, strengthen election infrastructure, and increase accessibility for voters with disabilities and voters who require in-language materials.
The group discussed what is happening on the ground in Georgia—including how voting restrictions disproportionately impact the disability community, people of color, and rural voters. They raised concerns about state legislation that has been passed in Georgia, and support for federal legislation that is being considered. The participants shared what they are doing to ensure the ballot box is accessible for all Americans — including by educating voters and helping Georgians to register to vote. The Vice President applauded the group for the coalitions they have built to protect the right to vote. Senator Raphael Warnock, Senator Jon Ossoff, and Representative Nikema Williams also participated in the conversation.
This is the third event focused on voting rights that the Vice President has hosted this week. On Wednesday, Vice President Harris met with 16 members of the Texas State Senate and Texas House of Representatives, who in May blocked passage of legislation that would have made it significantly harder for the people of Texas to vote. On Monday, the Vice President held her first meeting on the ground regarding voting rights while she was in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Vice President is implementing a comprehensive strategy to protect and expand voting rights—one that does not just involve all of government, but all of America. This strategy—like our democracy—is strongest when everyone participates.
Participants:
Helen Butler, Executive Director of the Georgia Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda
Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood, Executive Director of the Asian American Advocacy Fund
Hillary Holley, Organizing Director for Fair Fight
Gaylon Tootle, Chair for Rev UP GA
READ MORE: Vice President Harris encourages COVID-19 vaccinations during Atlanta tour stop
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