OBSERVATION: Brian Kemp, Stacey Abrams make the last push in the tough race of the Governor of Georgia
OBSERVATION: Brian Kemp, Stacey Abrams make the last push in the tough race of the Governor of Georgia
OBSERVATION: Brian Kemp, Stacey Abrams make the last push in the tough race of the Governor of Georgia
Transcription for Brian Kemp, Stacey Abrams make the final push in the tough race of the governor of Georgia
We are driving on I-85. It may be a race for the governor's mansion in Georgia, but it's one that the whole country is watching. In the red state of Georgia, where the fish is fried and the tea is sweet, the policy is as simple as it seems. This is a battle for the soul of our state, all of you. We have an opponent who is an architect of voter suppression. Reporter: A historic race in a draw. We are Georgia! Reporter: Partly because of Stacey Abrams, the 44-year-old democratic leader in the Georgia home. I'm Stacey Abrams and I'm running for governor. Reporter: Who if elected would become the first female black governor of any state in the history of the United States. We want all of Georgia to be reflected in my leadership. Yes, I will be the first black woman to be governor in the history of the United States, but that means that I am opening the door to the next person and the person after that. Reporter: President Trump captured the state with a little more than five points, so it seems that the prize here is much more than a government title. It can simply be for the soul of the south, even when the allegations of voter suppression have been swirling for a long time. The candidates themselves, polar opposites. For Republicans, Ryan Kemp, the current Secretary of State of Georgia, backed Trump. I have a big truck just in case I need to gather criminal illegals and take them home myself. Yes, I just said that. Reporter: He is unapologetically conservative, a strong supporter of the second amendment, religious freedom legislation and stricter immigration laws. We are building a red wall here in the state of Georgia. Reporter: Abrams is running brazenly as a progressive, advocating for LGBTQ equality, stricter gun control and Medicaid expansion. There has not been a democratic governor here in over 15 years. Yes. Journalist: But you, a black, progressive woman, can you change that? Absolutely because Georgia has changed in the last 20 years. Reporter: For her supporters, Abrams' candidacy is bigger than her. I think Georgia is ready for a Progressive Democrat. This is the birthplace of civil rights. Reporter: Abrams attracted greater star power. We have to vote for Stacey Abrams. Reporter: With the backing of celebrities from the legend of Juan and Ferrell. Even Oprah is campaigning with her on Thursday, and former President Obama will join her later this week. His opponent has used that in his favor. That's not Georgia values. That's values from California or New York. Reporter: You have had many funds from external sources. Are you running a state campaign or a national campaign? We are running a campaign with a local base that is known nationally. We have more than five times the number of individual donors who give us. Reporter: Ryan Kemp has perhaps obtained the only support he needs, from the Commander in Chief himself, President Trump, who tweets to himself that Kemp will be a great governor and will campaign for him just before the election. That resonated with Ted and his daughter Gianna at a Kemp campaign event here in Jessup, Georgia. Why did you bring your daughter today? We love Trump and I've heard some of the things I heard him say, and it's in line with my conservative values. I really think - Reporter: Hey, how are you? It's good to see you too. His campaign rejected our request for a formal interview, so we contacted him at one of his events. A conservative state, how could it be so difficult when you face an admitted progressive? The race at this time, there has been a great boost on the democratic side throughout the country. The Republican base was not really motivated. That changed a couple of weeks ago. Reporter: At the heart of this battle for the future of Georgia, what critics say is a flagrant attempt by Republicans to intimidate voters of color. Emmet Bondran, a long-time civil rights lawyer, says he has observed it for decades. There is a history of voter suppression, not only here but nationally. Reporter: In fact, an AP report found that there are 53,000 voter registration requests on hold due to the so-called exact match law that requires that the applicant's information exactly match other government records. Therefore, an inappropriate indent or indent may delay a request and a vote. As secretary of state, Kemp is the architect of that law and says he is trying to prevent electoral fraud. Reporter: You talked about voter suppression. That is a myth. That is a myth that Democrats bring up every two years. We have a record number of people in our voting functions. Reporter: But there is this detail. The majority of those 53,000 voter applications are mostly minority voters, voters who often elect Democrats. The majority of voters can cast a vote as long as they bring a photo ID to the polls. What do you say to those who say you are trying to suppress the votes? I'm not trying to repress. The numbers do not lie about the fact. The minority share is 23% more in Georgia, 23%. That's what you should report and you should not believe this about voter suppression. If it's 5,000, 50,000 people, your job is to make sure every eligible Georgian is ready to vote. Instead, he purged them. Reporter: Exact match does not just apply to renl stragss. There is also a signature requirement that allows officials to throw away ballots and absentee applications if a signature does not match the one that is on file. Aclu and other groups filed lawsuits claiming hundreds of absentee ballots were thrown. A judge stopped the practice last week and Kemp appealed to call the absentee voting privilege and convenience. A college student was eager to cast her absentee vote, especially as a Latino voter. It is exciting to have a stay in great decisions for the state. Reporter: Your class and work schedule would not allow you to make the one-hour trip to complete it in person. I made sure to complete it correctly and send it. Two weeks after I sent it, I received a notification that I had been rejected. Votes like me are the ones that scare Secretary Kemp. Journalist: They told him that his signatures did not match. They did not give me a process for, you know, fix my ballot or have it reinstated before rejection. Reporter: Under the law of voting rights, states that had a history of voter denial were overseen by the federal government, but the 2013 Supreme Court ruling overturned that requirement. You have been in this case for a long time. Do you feel like we're going backwards? I am surprised and disappointed that we are going in the opposite direction to make it harder for people to vote. Reporter: A federal study examined those southern states and examined five types of voter suppression tactics. Georgia, the study says, was the only state that adopted all five. Mr. Kemp created an atmosphere of fear around the right to vote in the state of Georgia. Reporter: Abrams asks his opponent to resign, but Kemp stands firm. I took an oath of office to serve as secretary of state and that is exactly what I am going to keep doing. I'm doing exactly the same thing that Democrat Cathie Cox was doing when she ran for governor. Reporter: Their fate is now in the hands of the voters. He believes in the same values as me. He's conservative, he believes in the second amendment, he reduces taxes and he just believes in the same kind of conservative things that I do. Sissy Abrams represents the future of Georgia as I want to see it. It is time for women and people of color to be in power. Reporter: It is clear that Georgians are anxious to decide the future of their state as long as that inalienable right, the right to vote, is not removed. For "Nightline" I'm Deborah Roberts in Noonan, Georgia
This transcript has been generated automatically and may not be 100% accurate.
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