Heimel v. Gregg, et. al

With about a month left until the general election in 2024, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the ACLU of Georgia, the American Civil Liberties Union and Akerman LLP intervened in a lawsuit filed against election officials in Oconee County, Georgia. In that case, the plaintiff asked the court to stop the local board of elections and registration from registering new voters until it held hearings on approximately 230 voters whose registrations had been challenged in July. The elections board earlier had dismissed the registration challenges of all but two of the voters.

The intervenor’s motion, filed on behalf of Oconee County resident Susan Noakes and Common Cause Georgia, asked the court to dismiss plaintiff Suzannah Heimel’s request for a writ of mandamus and emergency injunction.

On Oct. 8, the court granted the motion, and the case was dismissed, ultimately stopping mass voter challenges and possible voter roll purges.

The court also scheduled a hearing on the intervenor’s arguments that the elections board’s actions violate Georgia law prohibiting challenges of an elector within 45 days of an election.

The case was filed in the Superior Court of Oconee County, State of Georgia.