Georgia has settled a lawsuit filed on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP and the Coalition for the Peoples’ Agenda that alleged the state was violating the National Voter Registration Act by not providing the opportunity to vote every time they apply for or renew public assistance benefits. From a Project Vote press release:
The settlement details specific procedures that Georgia must follow for distributing voter registration applications to public assistance clients during in-person and remote transactions. The settlement also includes a variety of measures aimed at promoting and ensuring NVRA compliance, including voter registration training for public assistance employees, data collection, and a requirement that DHS report its voter registration activities to the coalition to help it monitor the implementation and impact of this settlement. The settlement has been submitted to a federal judge for approval.
“This settlement is a major step in modernizing our registration system for public assistance applicants, who increasingly interact with agencies through internet-based and telephone transactions,” Neil Steiner, a partner at Dechert LLP said in a statement. “Voting is a fundamental right in the United States and we are pleased to assist in ensuring that it is available to all those who are eligible.”
