Civic Register
| 6.25.21

AG Garland Announces DOJ Will Sue Georgia Over Election Law
Do you support or oppose the DOJ suing Georgia over its new election law?
What’s the story?
- The Dept. of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that it will file a lawsuit challenging Georgia’s recently-enacted election law, marking the beginning of the Biden administration’s push against state-level election reforms enacted by Republicans.
- Attorney General Merrick Garland held a press conference and explained that the lawsuit alleges Georgia’s election reforms were done with the intent of denying blacks the right to vote:
“Our complaint alleges that recent changes to Georgia’s election laws were enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of black Georgians to vote on account of their race or color in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Several studies show that Georgia experienced record voter turnout and participation rates in the 2020 election cycle. Approximately two-thirds of eligible voters in the state cast a ballot in the November election, just over the national average. This is cause for celebration. But then in March of 2021, Georgia’s legislature passed SB 202. Many of that law’s provisions make it harder for people to vote.”
- Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke explained that the lawsuit will focus on several aspects of the Georgia election law. It will cover provisions that barred officials from sending unrequested applications for absentee ballots and fined third-party groups that send absentee ballot applications; moved up the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot by a week; restricted distribution of food and drinks to voters in line at polling places; placed restrictions on the use of ballot drop boxes; created new ID requirements to obtain an absentee ballot; and required voters at the wrong precinct to either go to the proper precinct or cast a provisional ballot.
- There may soon be some clarity as to what the Supreme Court thinks about the element of the DOJ’s lawsuit pertaining to the voting process for voters at the wrong precinct, as the high court is expected to issue a decision next week in a case related to a similar rule in Arizona.
- Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) took to Twitter where he blasted the Biden administration’s decision to use the DOJ to sue Georgia over the election law and expressed confidence the Peach State will prevail after judicial review:
“This lawsuit is born out of the lies and misinformation the Biden administration has pushed against Georgia’s Election Integrity Act from the start. Joe Biden, Stacey Abrams, and their allies tried to force an unconstitutional elections power grab through Congress - and failed. Now, they are weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice to carry out their far-left agenda that undermines election integrity and empowers federal government overreach in our democracy. As Secretary of State, I fought the Obama Justice Department twice to protect the security of our elections - and won. I look forward to going three for three to ensure it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat in Georgia.”
What does the Georgia election law do?
VOTER ID
- Georgia law previously required voters to show a form of identification to vote in person, but absentee ballots weren’t subject to the ID requirement.
- Under the new election law, the ID requirement applies to all ballots, while a previous signature requirement is eliminated (CBS found that about 3,200 of 1.1 million mail ballots were rejected due to signature issues in a June 2020 primary).
- Voters can satisfy the ID requirement with a photo ID with a driver’s license, the last four digits of their Social Security number, a utility bill, a bank statement, a government check, a paycheck, or a government document that shows their name and address. Voters can also obtain a free ID card from the state Dept. of Driver Services.
- Absentee voters may provide a photocopy with their ballot to satisfy the requirement but can alternatively provide the ID number from their state-issued ID or the last four digits of their Social Security number to do so.
EARLY VOTING
- The new Georgia law requires there to be at least 17 days of early voting. Early voting would begin on the Monday that’s 22 days prior to Election Day and conclude on the Friday before the election.
- Counties are required to offer early voting on at least two Saturdays (only one was required under prior law), and may also offer early voting on Sundays. Previously, most of the larger Georgia counties offered early voting on two Saturdays, but smaller, rural counties were less likely to do so.
- Early voting must be open from 9am until 5pm, but counties may choose to offer expanded hours and remain open from 7am to 7pm. Previously, Georgia required that counties be open for early voting “during regular business hours” which meant that some rural counties with part-time election offices weren’t open for an eight-hour day.
ABSENTEE / MAIL-IN VOTING
- State election officials are prohibited from sending unsolicited absentee ballot request forms to voters, so voters will have to request absentee ballots to receive them. Third-party groups may send absentee ballot request forms to voters, but must include a disclaimer that reads: “This is NOT an official government publication and was NOT provided to you by any governmental entity and this is NOT a ballot.”
- The timeline for requesting and returning absentee ballots has been shortened by the new law. Voters can request absentee ballots as early as 78 days prior to an election (rather than 180 days) and must return them 11 days before the election.
- Georgia allowed the use of secure drop boxes for returning ballots for the first time in 2020, and the new law requires at least one drop box per county (but no more than one drop box per 100,000 county residents).
- The drop boxes must be located inside the clerk’s office or inside a voting location and accessible during early voting hours, then closed when early voting ends. During the 2020 elections drop boxes were available at any time.
IN-PERSON VOTING
- Counties that had a precinct with more than 2,000 voters in the last election or a precinct where voters waited for more than an hour to vote are required by the new law to create a new precinct or add resources that will reduce wait times.
- Voters who go to the wrong precinct before 5pm will be instructed to go to the correct precinct instead of casting a provisional ballot, but if they’re at the wrong precinct after 5pm they can cast a provisional ballot if they’re unable to get to the proper precinct before polls close.
FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE AT POLLING PLACES
- Georgia law previously banned political campaigns and interest groups from distributing or displaying campaign materials within 150 feet of a polling place or within 25 feet of voters in line for a polling place.
- The new law also bans political campaigns and interest groups from giving voters gifts while they’re in line at a polling place, “including but not limited to, food and drink.” This provision is intended to prevent campaign workers or members of outside groups from campaigning within restricted areas.
- Poll workers are allowed to set up self-service water for voters in line to use for hydration. Voters may also bring food and drink with them or get them from political campaign workers outside of the restricted areas around polling places.
ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
- The secretary of state will no longer chair the five-member state election board, and will instead be a non-voting ex officio member. The board members and the non-partisan chair will be elected by the state legislature. The chair is prohibited from actively participating in a political party or similar organization, making political donations, or running for public office while serving in the role or in the two years prior to serving as chair.
- The election board is granted new powers over local election officials under the new law. The board is able to suspend county or city election officials for poor performance or violating election board rules following a preliminary investigation and hearing then appoint temporary replacements, although no more than four officials can be suspended.
- A pandemic-related change that allowed election workers to start processing (but not tabulating) absentee ballots 15 days prior to Election Day is made permanent by the new law.
- Election officials are required to publish the total number of ballots cast ― including Election Day, early voting, and absentee ballots ― by 10pm on Election Day.
- Once election workers begin tabulating ballots they must continue counting until they’re done. With this change, counties are required to certify election results within six days, rather than 10 days under prior law.
- The Georgia attorney general is required to establish a hotline for voters to raise complaints about voter intimidation or other suspected illegal activity. Complaints can be anonymous and the AG is required to review the allegations to assess whether it merits further investigation or prosecution. Voters can challenge the qualifications of another voter to cast a ballot.
RUNOFFS
- The period for runoff elections has been shortened from nine weeks after the general election to 28 days after the general election.
- The new law requires early voting in a runoff to begin “as soon as possible” and for early voting to be open from Monday through Friday, with weekend early voting possible depending on progress made by counties in completing work from the prior election.
- Military and overseas voters will receive ranked-choice ballots on their primary and general election ballots because the shorter runoff period would make it difficult for them to receive and return the runoff ballot.
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— Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Senate Democrats via Flickr / Creative Commons)
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Jim Crow 2.0 cloaked in the cover of “fighting voter fraud”, of which there is simply NO EVIDENCE! I hope he sues each and every state implementing racist voting laws!!!
Why this is turned into a race issue is baffling. Are you implying blacks are incapable of getting a legitimate id? Because THAT is a very racist statement. If anything it is a citizen vs non-citizen issue which is without a doubt obvious and has a clear response. Only citizens can vote. If it's important enough to you and you value the right to vote, you will move your ass to get an id. You are a capable adult. You don't need a nanny state to facilitate everything in your life.
I can't say it any better than Georgia's governor:
This lawsuit is born out of the lies and misinformation the Biden administration has pushed against Georgia’s Election Integrity Act from the start. Joe Biden, Stacey Abrams, and their allies tried to force an unconstitutional elections power grab through Congress - and failed. Now, they are weaponizing the U.S. Department of Justice to carry out their far-left agenda that undermines election integrity and empowers federal government overreach in our democracy. As Secretary of State, I fought the Obama Justice Department twice to protect the security of our elections - and won. I look forward to going three for three to ensure it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat in Georgia.”
I oppose this lawsuit out of respect for the minority community. How can that be? I do NOT automatically assume that ANYONE is too mentally deficient to follow simple rules and regulations today in the 21st Century. Confusing communication, laws, rules, and regulations have allowed those with ulterior motives to be allowed to subjugate portions of the country's population to be subject to their authority. This has NEVER served this country well. Don't agree? Then you must have been in some barren, desolate, place with absolutely no communication to, from, or with anyone anywhere on the face of the earth!
This an any other laws designed to create a problem in our rights to vote with ease, should be stopped. The Republicans are trying to dismantle our democracy.
It’s the DOJ’s job to put a stop to Republicans overstepping the boundaries and trying to take away the rights of people in Georgia. Before other states try to do the same thing. Shut it down now keep our democracy in tact.
It’s about time the law is enforced! Thank you!
Definitely!
Some people in here have obviously not read the law and have not looked at other states the laws that are implemented in Georgia I’m not near as bad as laws in New York Delaware New Jersey Oregon Georgia has 17 days of early voting to include Sundays and Sundays are open 7 AM till 9 PM the state of our president only has nine early voting days it requires identification that you have to have to do literally everything that involves the government but for some reason the Democrats do not want people to have to prove who they are to vote but they have to prove who they are to get any kind of assistance programs cash a check get on the airplane enter a federal building go see their senators while they’re in town so I find Criticism of this law very hypocritical and ignorant
I support the DOJ suing Georgia over their election suppression laws. We have the same thing going on here in Arizona. It is going to make it harder for us older white people to vote, even though the focus is to make it harder for MINORITIES to vote, the usual republican strategy when they lose an election. And unfortunately, this works for them. But bad for democracy. Every state that has done this needs to be sued. And that damn supreme court needs to bring back the checks on these states that take our voting rights away from us!!! And what is going on with this fake count by the "cyber ninjas"??? ballots going to MONTANA? can't you stop this? Or have the DOJ sue over THIS??? The ballots will come back completely different that the way they went out, I am sure.
About time!!
Why? Because there trying to safeguard the election process? This would prevent his boss from stealing a second term. I forgot the true boss is Kamaaala!
You need only read the 10th amendment to realize what an asshole thing this is.
If Georgia wins, it could set precedent to protect other state rights.
This falls under State sovereignty. We need to ensure the integrity of our elections! We need voter id at the polls and for mail in ballots. We do not need the mess we had with 2016's Russian collusion allegation and 2020's voter fraud allegation.
VOTER SUPPRESSION is against the Constitution! How about getting out there to help people being able to to do their Constitutional right and not make it more difficult! Many died for that right! Take time and watch the movie Selma.. revisit what has happened in this, OUR Country for the right to VOTE! SHAME on Florida for passing this bill plus those that backed out! It's REALLY DISGUSTING and makes us EMBARRASSED to be Floridian's!
Too many Republicans are trying to take us back in time to re- live the past with unfair, blatantly racist policies. We can’t let that happen. We must fight for, and stand firm for doing what is right for all people, creating just laws for all and enforcing the rule of law, at all times for EVERYONE.
We need federal laws to banish Jim Crow laws. We need them badly and before the next election. Get rid of the filibuster so we can get something done. And Manchin and Sinema -- get out of the way of democrats. If you keep this up, you wont get re-elected.
It is just another form of racism.
Bicycler: Nice examples! It still amazes me that any of our people actually support these a$$wipe politicians. I really cannot fathom how politicians who openly lie, cheat and steal ever get elected. To quote an erstwhile Tweeter, SAD.
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