Georgia Passes Controversial Voting Bill
On March 25, Governor Brian Kemp signed a highly controversial bill into Georgia Law. This bill makes a multitude of changes to how elections operate in what is now the nation's hottest battleground state, Georgia. The bill was rushed through the State Senate and house, carried by the Republican majority in both chambers. Only an hour after it was passed by the general assembly it was signed into law. Republicans claim the bill is necessary to cut down on voter fraud, Democrats liken the bill to the Jim Crow era.
Within the 98 pages of the bill, there are a few key subjects that are political lightning rods. The bill made significant cuts to the availability of mail in voting. Voters will be required to have a reason they need to vote by mail and must provide a photo ID or some other identification, such as an addressed bill or pay stub, with their ballot rather than signature matching as was used in the 2020 election. Ballot drop boxes, which were utilized extensively in 2020, will no longer be available 24/7 and will only be open inside polling places during hours of operation. Early voting will be limited to one week before the election and runoffs will be moved up to 4 weeks after the general election. Another hotly debated provision is one that prohibits the distribution of food, water, and other items to voters in line. However, the bill expressly states that poll workers will still be allowed to provide a self service water tank at voting locations. The bill also gives power to state-controlled boards to take over election operations if a specific precinct has continual issues with fraud.
Kemp and fellow Republicans argue that the bill will assuage widespread concern about the integrity of the 2020 election. These concerns were rampant following the election and centered mostly around mail-in voting, which was used in a higher volume than normal due to the pandemic. Despite the fact that no significant fraud was found in the election results, undoubtedly many constituents of Republican representatives feel very strongly about the issue. Conversely, many constituents of Democrat representatives in Georgia and nationwide feel very strongly that this bill is aimed at suppressing the votes of minority voters, who were essential in turning the state blue in the past election. They feel that the provisions disproportionately affect minority voters who are more likely to lack ID, utilize early voting, and prefer mail in or drop box ballots. The national outrage took the form of all movements in 2020 spreading rampantly on social media by everyone from celebrities to teenagers. National lawmakers like Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff as well as the President himself have expressed their outrage and called the bill “atrocious” and “Jim Crow in the 21st century.”
By Jake Bogartz