Metro Atlanta counties push back on new Georgia law that makes local elections nonpartisan
Gov. Brian Kemp this week signed a law that makes local races in five Metro Atlanta counties nonpartisan.
Starting in 2028, candidates for district attorney, county commissions, and other elected offices in Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett Counties won't appear on ballots as Democrats or Republicans.
Cobb County leaders are calling for its veto following Kemp's decision to sign the bill.
"I stand to express strong opposition," said Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid.
"It's an effort to suppress the vote," said Sandra Lee Williams, Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council president.
"HB 369 will make some county and local elections nonpartisan in five metro Atlanta counties," said Emory University political science professor Zachary Peskowitz. "Instead of having a D or an R next to the candidates' names, they're just going to have the candidate name and none of the partisan info next to the candidate on the ballot."
The law goes into effect in 2028.
Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett are the only counties in Georgia impacted.
"These are counties that have historically been democratic. These are counties that are predominantly African American. And this contributes to a more concerted effort to suppress black voters," said Mary-Pat Hector, a DeKalb County voter and the CEO of RISE - a non-profit that promotes youth advocacy.
"Local elections are where the real change starts. Those are the individuals who you see day to day, WHO impact you when you come up against the criminal justice system, when you experience issues with your education system, and when you experience issues on the county level, like potholes," said Hector.
Peskowitz says many voters go to the polls to vote for a specific party.
"Those parties are important in structuring political competition. They provide a lot of information to voters about what candidates stand for, particularly in these local, county elections, where there's not a lot of media coverage. Voters aren't always super knowledgeable about the particular candidate's experience and qualifications and issue positions and the like," said Peskowitz.
The bill's supporters say it promotes voting based on performance rather than party.
"If this was a good policy and the governor of Georgia believed this was a good policy, why was this not a policy for the entire state of Georgia?" asked Hector.
CBS News reached out to the representatives behind this bill to get insight into their thinking. So far, they haven't responded.
Fulton County DA Fani Willis and DeKalb County DA Sherry Boston say they will take legal action against this new law.
Gwinnett's district attorney, Patsy Austin Gatson, calls the law "a deliberate act of voter disenfranchisement, and we will fight it with every tool available to us."
