Stacey Abrams celebrated early turnout among Black voters in Georgia after she previously called an election reform law in the state “Jim Crow 2.0.”
The state’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee joined Alex Wagner on her eponymous MSNBC show on Thursday to discuss her race against Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA).
Wagner asked her, “What is your expectation for Black voter turnout in this election by election day? We know early voting has started, how do you see the numbers?”
Abrams said she was pleased to see Black voters, particularly men, getting out and voting.
“The numbers are extraordinary,” she said. “We have seen Black men participate at 91.8% of their 2020 general election turnout. We have seen Black women participate at 90%. These are the two highest concentrations of voters.”
Abrams did acknowledge the elephant in the room: the Election Integrity Act of 2021.
The two-time Democratic nominee said record numbers of Black Georgians are voting despite the law, which has expanded access to the ballot box via more opportunities to vote early, but has been heavily criticized for asking voters to prove their identities.
Abrams told Wagner:
Let’s be clear, they are participating despite the impediments of SB2020. Despite the racially-charged voter challenges authorized by SB202. Despite the barriers to using absentee ballots, which Black voters used in abundance in 2018 and ’21. until the time was truncated and the process made more come complicated.
Abrams said Black voters are crossing “barriers” to cast ballots “because they know how vital this election is.”
The Georgia Democrat said last year that, if enacted, the Election Integrity Act of 2021 would have criminalized “compassion” in voting.
“Now more than ever, we need federal action to protect voting rights as we continue to fight against these blatantly unconstitutional efforts that are nothing less than Jim Crow 2.0,” Abrams stated.
Watch above, via MSNBC.
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