Atlanta mayor issues order to 'mitigate the impact' of Georgia's new voting law

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms issued an executive order Tuesday that directs the city's chief equity officer to implement "a series of actions to mitigate the impact" of Georgia's new election law imposing a series of voting restrictions.

The city of Atlanta does not have authority over state election law, so the administrative order cannot change any of the new requirements. Most of the actions focus on voter education and staff training to better assist Atlanta residents with information on the new law changes or how to obtain necessary identification.

"This Administrative Order is designed to do what those in the majority of the state legislature did not -- expand access to our right to vote," Bottoms said in a statement.

The order is just the latest rebuke of the Georgia election legislation, which has been roundly derided by voting rights advocates, civil rights groups and, more recently, private businesses in the state. Signed into law last month, it imposes new voter identification requirements for absentee ballots, empowers state officials to take over local elections boards, limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to approach voters in line to give them food and water.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/atlanta-mayor-issues-order-to-mitigate-the-impact-of-georgia-s-new-voting-law/ar-BB1fmXES