ATLANTA — U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has returned to Atlanta Tuesday in her first of what will likely be many visits to Georgia this election year.
According to the White House, the VP met with community leaders on protecting voting rights "and other hard-fought, hard-won freedoms." She is expected to visit a private community area in a busy portion of northwest Atlanta.
People should brace for traffic disruptions and crowds. Here's what to know about her visit.
When did Vice President Kamala Harris arrive in Atlanta?
Harris visited Tuesday arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
She landed around noon after delays because of a severe weather system before her motorcade made its way from the world's busiest airport to Atlanta's tourist district.
After stepping off the plane, she was greeted by several prominent Democratic local and national figures, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath and Nikema Williams.
She spoke The Gathering Spot, which is not far from Georgia Tech's campus and Atlanta's Trap Museum. It's also about a mile away from the Georgia Aquarium, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the World of Coca-Cola in Downtown Atlanta.
Traffic conditions for VP Harris' visit
Street closures around The Gathering Spot have not been announced, but people can expect backups along Interstate 85 during the vice president's visit. Drivers should anticipate downtown traffic to be more congested than usual.
What did VP Harris speak about in Atlanta?
During a presidential election year, and with her name up for reelection for vice president, Harris visited The Gathering Spot to convene with community leaders "protecting voting rights."
The discussion on voting rights follows not long after Georgia's newly re-drawn congressional and state district maps and right after the state kicked off a new legislative session.
Minutes before her closed-door conversation on voting, the vice president spoke to the media about a range of voting issues from poll workers being harassed to the nearly 300 voting bills.
"We have seen in the state of Georgia by example of what is happening around the country, anti voter laws. Laws that have limited drop boxes, made it illegal to even provide food and water to people standing in line often for hours," said Vice President Harris.
She also spoke to news reporters about the progress that has been made like poll workers now having paid time off for their service and the 17 new languages now available on ballots, that includes Chinese, Arabic and Navajo.
"When we look at the state of Georgia in many ways it is ground zero on this issue both in terms of Georgia’s history of fighting for the right of people to express their dreams and goals for their country through the exercise of their right to vote," said the vice president.
How the vice president believes there is more work that has to be done.
"The President and I will continue to fight on these issue like to compel as best as we can congress to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act," she said.
How many times has Harris visited Georgia?
This was the vice president’s 10th trip to Georgia since being sworn in and her first trip in 2024.
Last month, she attended the Celebration Bowl, an annual national championship football game that celebrates Historically Black Colleges and Universities, to watch her alma mater, Howard University, compete.