Statesboro, Georgia
Georgia has a history of student vote suppression and intimidation, and that history continued in 2007 in Statesboro, Georgia. A group calling itself Statesboro Citizens for Good Government filed a blanket challenge to the eligibility of 909 student voters from Georgia Southern University. These challenges, combined with statements made in the press by the challengers and local officials, and the presence of uniformed police officers at the polls, was a brazen attempt to intimidate student voters and keep them from voting in local elections. Fortunately, the National Campaign for Fair Elections, Georgia Election Protection, and its partners were able to act on the students’ behalf and all challenges were withdrawn.
In the fall of 2007, a successful voter registration drive led to over 2,000 new registered Statesboro voters, most of them GSU students. Unfortunately some local residents did not approve of the newfound civic activism on campus, and filed a blanket challenge to the eligibility of 909 student voters. This effort was a clear attempt to intimidate the students and keep them from voting. Every challenge was identical and based on personal information they could not have ascertained, such as claiming each student receives "significant mail and personal bills" at non-Statesboro addresses, does not stay in Statesboro during the summer, and plans to leave Statesboro upon graduating. (Click here to see the challenge documents)
Aside from the group’s blanket voter challenges, the students faced threats, intimidation, and police officers stationed outside and inside polling locations. One police officer told a student he would face police action if he did not update his ID to reflect his residency in Bulloch County. Another officer harassed a female student by demanding she show where she lived on a map of the voting district and attempted to prevent her from voting, even though she grew up in the area and attended Statesboro public schools. Incumbent council member, John Morris, attempted to place an ad in the Statesboro Connect warning students that by registering to vote, they would risk losing their financial aid and their parents could no longer claim them as dependents on tax returns. Neither of these contentions were true.
In light of this attempt to disenfranchise legally-registered voters by challenging the validity of their registrations, the National Campaign for Fair Elections and its partners took immediate action (Read the press release). Lawyers’ Committee Board Member and Election Protection Georgia leader, Charles Lester, sent a letter to the Statesboro City Attorney and Bulloch County Registrar of Voters contesting, "It is readily apparent that the Board’s probable cause determination is both procedurally and substantively deficient," and requested that the Board of Registrars dismiss the challenges. Lester also sent a separate letter to the city attorney protesting to the police presence at the polls.
On November 14, the challengers’ attorney, Huber Reeves, withdrew the challenges stating, "I became convinced, as a result of my research, that if a federal court challenge were filed challenging their right to bring a blanket challenge to electors based solely on their status as students, while there is no binding precedent, the movement of the law is such that there would be some difficulty."
While this was a significant victory for the students of Georgia Southern University, 2007 was not the first time students in the state faced barriers when trying to vote. In 1967, college students in Athens, Georgia were denied the right to register to vote solely based on their status as students. In 1980, 110 students from Young Harris College were challenged as a group in a petition that questioned their residency. And in 2004, groups of racial minorities in Long and Atkinson counties were faced with baseless claims of citizenship ineligibility.
The National Campaign for Fair Elections will stay vigilant in its support for the rights of student voters across the country. Through its leadership in the Election Protection program, and election reform efforts, such supporting the Cagining Prohibition Act, the National Campaign will continue to work to ensure every eligible American has the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot.
New Group Aims to Register Student Voters, Statesboro Herald, (September 4, 2007)
Voter Sign-ups Prove Effective, Statesboro Herald, (October 3, 2007)
Student Voter Registrations Challenged, Statesboro Herald, (October 23, 2007)
Citizens Group Challenges Highest Number of Voter Registrations in State History, Statesboro Herald, (October 24, 2007)
Voter Registration Rumors Clarified, Statesboro Herald, (October, 25, 2007)
GSU Dean of Students: ‘They really just want their voice to be heard’, Statesboro Herald, (October, 25, 2007)
Due to current controversy surrounding city council elections, some students voice concerns, Statesboro Herald, (October 25, 2007)
No Treats, but Dirty Election Tricks, Statesboro Connect, (October 25, 2007)
Right to Vote Being Questioned, WSAV, (October 26, 2007)
Big Question in the Boro: Who Can Vote?, WTOC, (October 26, 2007)
Shot in the foot, Statesboro Connect, (October 27, 2007)
Early voting off to fast start in Statesboro, Statesboro Herald, (October 29, 2007)
Student Voting in Question, The George-Anne Daily, (October 30, 2007)
Student Uprising In Statesboro?, InsiderAdvantage, (October 30, 2007)
Our Views: Citizens group should withdraw challenges to voter registrations, Statesboro Herald, (October 31, 2007)
Student Voters Get a Lawyer, WSAV, (October 31, 2007)
GSU Student Voting Debate, WSAV, (November 1, 2007)
Current State of Statesboro Election Controversy, The George-Anne Daily, (November 2, 2007)
Voter Challenges - What’s Next?, Statesboro Herald, (November 7, 2007)
Another Sorry Attempt to Deny Voting Rights, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, (November 9, 2007)
Statesboro Group Drops Student Voters Challenge, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, (November 14, 2007)
Voter Registration Challenges Dropped, Statesboro Connect, (November 15, 2007)