The eligibility of more than 5,000 DeKalb County voters is in question a month before the election

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. – Just over a month before Election Day, Republicans in DeKalb County have filed a lawsuit seeking to cancel the registrations of more than 5,000 voters.

On Wednesday, a group of civil rights organizations called on a judge to intervene.

The DeKalb County Republican Party is pushing for the county to hold hearings to consider each case individually.

The party’s move sparked a response from a coalition of civil rights groups that are now trying to intervene.

The county Republican Party, led by Marci McCarthy, is urging voters to check their registrations before Monday’s deadline for any changes.

According to McCarthy, 5,215 voters are being turned away on the grounds that they are either no longer residents, voted in other jurisdictions or have no longer been in contact with the Secretary of State’s office.

“We need to investigate these people before we vote,” said McCarthy, chairman of the DeKalb County Republican Party. “We want to ensure that our legal voters across the spectrum, regardless of their political affiliation, have the opportunity to vote, know that their vote will be counted, and that they will not be disenfranchised by illegal voters.”

SEE ALSO: Helene’s anger will not harm the elections in Georgia, says Raffensperger

This lawsuit follows a series of similar legal challenges filed by conservative groups across Georgia, all aimed at ensuring the integrity of voter rolls.

However, on Wednesday, several civil rights organizations announced a motion to intervene in the case: The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, New Georgia Project, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, A. Philip Randolph Institute, Common Cause Georgia and League of Women Voters of Georgia, represented by the Advancement Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Arnold & Porter.

“The problem is that when you’re so close to an election, not only does it sow chaos, but such last-minute efforts to remove voters from the voter rolls also constitute voter intimidation,” Judith Browne Dianis said , Managing Director of Advancement Project.

The civil rights groups argue that federal law prohibits such purges so close to an election and claim that these challenges disproportionately affect black and brown communities.

“We all want clean voter rolls and integrity in our elections,” Dianis added. “What people should know is that there is little to no voter fraud in this country.”

Meanwhile, Alicia Hughes, a professor at Emory University School of Law, advises voters to act quickly and make sure their registration is proper.

“At this point, every voter needs to be proactive on all issues,” Hughes said.

All parties involved encourage voters to visit Georgia’s My Voter Page and check their registration status. The registration deadline is October 7th.