Author Archives: Tammy Joyner

Congressional Committee hears Georgians concerns about state’s new election reform law After two attempts to vote, Air Force veteran Jose Segarra still ended up waiting three hours to cast his ballot in last year’s presidential election. On July 1, Helen Butler was removed from the elections board in Morgan County after a decade of service […]

Crime or election reform? That’s the choice Georgians face on July 19 when those two heavyweight topics will be on the agenda at two separate political functions. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota announced recently she will host a U.S. Senate Committee on Rules & Administration field hearing in Atlanta on the Peach State’s newly-installed […]

Voters headed to Tuesday’s special elections in Cobb County and South Georgia aren’t likely to see much change in the way they vote despite Georgia’s new election reform law. Tuesday’s special election runoff for two state House seats will be the first time the four-month-old Georgia Election Integrity Act, originally known as Senate Bill 202, […]

After working on myriad political campaigns that included Jon Ossoff and Jason Carter, a scion of Georgia political royalty, Theron Johnson took a much-needed break. “I put my (political) jerseys in the rafters,” said Johnson. While on his 2019 hiatus, Johnson found his next calling. For Johnson, redistricting represents the next major challenge to strengthening […]

A government watchdog group has named Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr among a group of attorneys general nationwide who pose the greatest threat to American democracy. Accountable.US cited Carr and a dozen other Republican attorneys general as “enemies of progress.” The announcement is part of the group’s national Enemies of Progress campaign which launched on Thursday. […]

A federal judge Thursday heard arguments seeking clarity on Georgia’s new election reform law as key parts of the new law take effect. The start of what’s expected to be a long legal battle over Georgia’s voting process beganas U.S. District Judge Jean-Paul Boulee took on the first of eight lawsuits opposing the new law. The lawsuits […]

The U.S. Department of Justice sued Georgia Friday over its new elections overhaul law, marking the Biden Administration’s first salvo against the nation’s wave of voter suppression laws. “Recent changes to Georgia’s election law were enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of black Georgians to vote on account of their race […]

One of the biggest boosts to protecting voting rights hit an impenetrable partisan wall Tuesday as Congress stalled one of the most sweeping elections overhaul bills in 50 years. Senate Republicans blocked the Democrats’ efforts to begin debates on S1, better known as the For The People Act. Sixty votes were needed to bring the […]

For the political junkies and disciples of democracy, this is the week that counts. Two key voting rights-related battles are unfolding: one in Georgia, one in Congress. Georgia’s case centers around the validity of 147,000 absentee ballots cast in Fulton County during last November’s presidential election. Nine Georgia voters sued to have the ballots examined […]

When it comes to keeping Georgia’s election process honest, Garland Favorito is one of the toughest advocates and critics. Favorito has been rattling the nerves of many Georgia political elites for 15 years while testing the mettle of the state’s election system. The retired information technology professional is co-founder of VoterGA, a nonpartisan election integrity nonprofit with […]

This fall, Georgia lawmakers will take up the crucial task of redrawing political boundaries and maps that will determine how and who you get to vote for in future elections. The decennial duty ultimately decides federal representation for your state as well who sits on your county commission, city council and school board. While state […]

Waiting in long lines for hours to vote could be a thing of the past if just-introduced federal legislation becomes law. On Thursday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a state already known for its innovative approach to voting, introduced the People Over Long Lines or POLL Act. The bill requires governments to guarantee every voter has a […]

Expect lawsuits to abound once lawmakers finish redrawing political boundaries sometime this fall. “I think there’s going to be a fair amount of litigation on the back end,” Marina Jenkins, director of litigation and policy at the National Redistricting Foundation, told Atlanta Civic Circle. “The greedier the legislature gets, the more they open themselves to litigation.” The […]

Waiting in long lines for hours to vote could be a thing of the past if just-introduced federal legislation becomes law. On Thursday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a state already known for its innovative approach to voting, introduced the People Over Long Lines or POLL Act. The bill requires governments to guarantee every voter has a […]

Expect lawsuits to abound once lawmakers finish redrawing political boundaries sometime this fall. “I think there’s going to be a fair amount of litigation on the back end,” Marina Jenkins, director of litigation and policy at the National Redistricting Foundation, told Atlanta Civic Circle. “The greedier the legislature gets, the more they open themselves to litigation.” Read […]

With a stroke of his pen, Pres. Biden on Thursday made June 19th – or Juneteenth – the nation’s 12th national holiday. Passage of the Juneteenth Independence Day legislation recognizes June 19, 1865 as the day enslaved Blacks in Galveston,Tex. were told they were released from chattel bondage. That pronouncement 156 years ago came more […]

With the start of summer just days away, Atlanta Civic Circle has compiled an assortment of books for your reading pleasure. Community organizers, educators and politicos alike helped us assemble an interesting selection of books on democracy. Make sure to pack a few as you head off on vacation or bring one out for an afternoon of […]

A nationally-renowned expert on redistricting gave a grim prognosis for the outcome of Georgia’s redistricting later this year. This year is the first time in more than half a century that Georgia and other southern states will be redrawing their political maps without federal oversight. Read the full story on Atlanta Civic Circle.

While Americans watched the nation undergo a massive metamorphosis last year, Clayton County community organizer Alaina Reaves was experiencing a political baptism by fire. At 32, Reaves is the youngest of the eight-member Georgia delegation to the Democratic National Committee, which has a total of about 400 people. She had a clear vantage point of her […]

Halfway through 2021 and you’re still trying to figure out how you can make a difference after a year of divisive national politics and protests and endless global turmoil? Your best bet is to get to know your community and its resources. It’s the surest way to zero in on what will motivate you to […]