U.S. District Judge Steve Jones has dealt a blow to democratic candidate for governor Stacy Abrams and her campaign, ruling that Georgia election practices challenged by a group associated with her do not violate the constitutional rights of voters, according to a report by FOX 5 Atlanta.
First filed in 2018 by Fair Fight Action, an organization founded by Abrams and still with close ties to her and her campaign, the federal suit alleged serious problems with state’s election system, leaving into question how fair elections can be in the state as long as such rules are in place.
“The conduct of this trial and preceding cases and legislative actions represent a hard-won victory for voters who endured long lines, burdensome date of birth requirements and exact match laws that disproportionately impact Black and Brown voters,” Abrams wrote in a twitter statement following the result.
In rendering his final verdict, Jones acknowledged that the “Georgia’s election system is not perfect,” but quickly added in his opinion that the practices being challenged in the lawsuit fell to register as clear-cut violations of the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In the wake of the court’s ruling, Abrams vowed to fight on for what she believes in
“As governor, I will expand the right to vote. I will defend minority voters, not bemoan their increased power or grow ‘frustrated’ by their success,” Abrams pledged in a recent statement.
