NEWS BRIEF: Influential clergyman won’t cave in to Georgia election restrictions

A pastor in Georgia who oversees 500 Black congregations is refusing to put up with the state’s newly enacted voting regulations and wants to raise registration levels dramatically among his flock. “When you tell us what we can’t do, it makes us more determined to do it,” says Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, head of the state’s African Methodist Episcopal Church. The 67-year old cleric is using his extensive reach to get everyone to the polls, regardless of the obstacles. Working with other AME leaders, a yearlong effort is underway to make sure all parishioners are registered to vote, and to have their votes counted. “We are starting now,” Jackson told The Daily Beast in an interview. “Whatever the law requires, we’re teaching and training and organizing to deal with that.” thedailybeast.com