Jimmy Carter ‘saddened and angry’ over Georgia voting restriction efforts

“American democracy means every eligible person has the right to vote in an election that is fair, open, and secure. It should be flexible enough to meet the electorate’s changing needs. As Georgians, we must protect these values,” the former Democratic President wrote in a statement. “We must not lose the progress we have made. We must not promote confidence among one segment of the electorate by restricting the participation of others. Our goal always should be to increase, not decrease, voter participation.”

Carter’s rebuke comes as Georgia’s Republican-led legislature is advancing a sweeping election bill with restrictions on voter access, repealing no-excuse absentee voting. The bill creates ID requirements to request an absentee ballot and establishes a hotline to file complaints and allegations of voter intimidation and illegal election activities.

“Many of the proposed changes are reactions to allegations of fraud for which no evidence was produced—allegations that were, in fact, refuted through various audits, recounts, and other measures,” Carter said.

The state’s Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has not declared whether he would sign the bill in its current form into law, but a spokeswoman has told CNN via email that Kemp “has been clear about his support for strengthened voter ID provisions on absentee voting.”

Carter’s statement was issued by the Carter Center, an organization founded by the former President and former first lady Rosalynn Carter. The organization has helped support democratic elections in countries during fragile and volatile times for more than three decades, observing more than 100 elections in 39 countries.