Atlanta, GA — Former Georgia Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp finally recognized the inherent conflict of interest of his remaining in that office while simultaneously running for governor.

“Brian Kemp’s resignation, while welcome, has come too late. The challenges Georgia voters experienced during this election resulted in eligible votes being lost. Kemp spent his tenure disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of Georgians. There is still time to protect votes that were cast, and we urge the new Secretary of State to ensure a fair and transparent process in the coming days,” said Sara Henderson, Executive Director, Common Cause Georgia.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter of Georgia, who has monitored elections in hundreds of other countries, said that Kemp’s conflict of interest “ran counter to the most fundamental principle of democratic elections – that the electoral process be managed by an independent and impartial election authority.”