Atlanta, GA — Judge Eleanor Louise Ross of the U.S. District Court for Northern District of GA today ordered that Georgia voters whose registration applications had been left pending under Georgia’s “Exact Match” program are now allowed to exercise their right to vote in the midterm election on November 6.

The full order is accessible here: https://bit.ly/2CXY3iQ

What it means for Georgia voters: Georgia voters who had been told they were ineligible to vote based on their failure to meet the criteria of Georgia’s Exact Match program will now be able to cast a vote and have it counted toward 2018 midterm election results.

Judge Ross granted preliminary relief in a coalition lawsuit that the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed and Common Cause and many other voting rights groups joined, against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp for holding up voter registrations that didn’t meet “exact match” standards. The Lawyers Committee contended in the suit filed that the “exact match” practice is discriminatory, unlawful and a voter suppression scheme.

For non-partisan background on Georgia’s exact match program and its impact from Politifact Georgia:
https://www.politifact.com/georgia/article/2018/oct/19/georgias-exact-match-law-and-its-impact-voters-gov/

Common Cause Georgia Executive Director Sara Henderson reacted: “Secretary Brian Kemp, who is already acting as the fox guarding the hen house, given his dual roles of Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate, must play fair. Today, the court has instructed him to do so, and Georgians can rejoice that their voices will be heard in this election.”