More Georgia Candidates Step Up to Respect and Protect Elections

ATLANTA (Sept. 28, 2022) — Governor Brian Kemp, Sen. Raphael Warnock, and gubernatorial candidates Stacey Abrams and Shane T. Hazel are the latest Georgia political candidates to sign on to the Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections.

The Candidate Principles initiative is a bipartisan effort supported by more than 60 organizations from across the political spectrum to encourage candidates, political parties, and voters to uphold five core doctrines of democratic elections: integrity, nonviolence, security, oversight, and the peaceful transfer of power.        

“Georgia’s candidates are setting an example for the rest of the country,” said the Carter Center’s CEO, Paige Alexander. “We’re delighted that these candidates have declared their commitment to uphold the basic principles that underpin our democratic republic.”

Anyone — candidates, organizations, community leaders, and voters in any state — can pledge their support for the Candidate Principles at principledcandidates.org.

Supporters agree to:

• Cooperate with election officials, adhere to rules and regulations, and refrain from knowingly propagating falsehoods about the electoral process.
• Encourage a peaceful election atmosphere during the preelection, polling, counting, and post-election periods. Denounce any attempt to intimidate, harass, threaten, or incite violence against opponents, their supporters, and election workers.
• Respect voters' freedom to exercise their lawful rights to register and vote, free from interference, obstruction, or intimidation.
• Encourage political parties and others to train poll watchers on the election process and appropriate roles and behaviors, responsibilities, and obligations.
• Make claims of election irregularities in accordance with the law and acknowledge the legitimacy of the outcomes after the results have been certified and all contestations decided.

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Contact: Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org

              
The Carter Center
Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.