Subscriber Exclusive First Jim Crow. Now SB 2020. In Georgia, voter suppression has always been a concern for Black voters Since the mid-1800s, Georgia’s voting laws have worked to suppress Black voters and by extension other disenfranchised groups. Raisa Habersham, Savannah Morning News Published 4:43 pm UTC Apr. 1, 2021 The first time Bettye Berksteiner's parents tried to vote, they were told they were at the wrong precinct. It was 1948 and their first attempt was at a church roughly eight blocks from their home. Once there, Lucy and James West were told their names were not listed. The couple was sent to a second location.