“A growing conflict over voting rights is playing out in Georgia, where the presidential race is tightening”

WaPo:

A growing conflict over voting rights and ballot access is playing out in Georgia, where civil rights activists are trading accusations with Republican elected officials and where stakes have risen considerably with the state’s new status as a closely watched battleground.

Activists said earlier this month as many as 100,000 Georgia voter registration applications have not been processed. One of the state’s largest counties offered only one early-voting site, prompting hours-long waits for many voters at the polls last week. And the state’s top election official has refused to extend voter registration deadlines in counties hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew.

These developments have prompted harsh criticism from voting rights activists. Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit to extend registration for six counties affected by the hurricane. Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who oversees elections, responded by taking to Twitter to rail against “left-wing activists,” whom he accused of trying to disrupt the upcoming election.

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