Civil rights groups file emergency lawsuit over absentee ballot delays in Gwinnett County – CBS News

Civil rights groups file emergency lawsuit over absentee ballot delays in Gwinnett County  CBS News

A group of civil rights organizations have filed an emergency lawsuit against the Gwinnett County Board of Registrations and Elections over concerns that an absentee ballot issue may deny some residents their right to vote.The lawsuit, filed on Friday by groups that include the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU of Georgia, and the Legal Defense Fund, argue that nearly 2,000 may not be able to cast their ballot due to delays by an out-of-state vendor.The emergency lawsuit alleges that the New York-based Fort Orange Press, which is used by Gwinnett, Cobb, and DeKalb County, issued ballots that have not arrived for more than 1,800 lawfully-registered voters in the county.In one case, attorneys say a student who lives in Gwinnett County and studies in New York, filed a request for an absentee ballot on Oct.

9. While his application was accepted and a ballot was issued the same day, he had not received it as of Thursday."It is unacceptable that voters are experiencing delays of this scale when voting by absentee," SPLC's Deputy Legal Director Bradley Heard said in a statement. "Absentee voting is an invaluable mechanism for voters who may otherwise be unable to cast their ballot. Gwinnett County voters, particularly voters of color, will not be deterred from having their voices heard this election, and we will do