Civil and voting rights organizations achieved two significant victories for Georgia voters by securing preliminary injunctions that relax the burdensome birthdate requirement for absentee ballots and permit “line relief” for voters waiting in lengthy lines to cast their votes. However, these victories have been appealed to the 11th Circuit Court, and with less than ten weeks remaining before the general election, the plaintiffs are optimistic that the Northern District of Atlanta’s injunctions will remain in effect.
The plaintiffs include individual community members and trusted organizations dedicated to protecting the rights of Black voters, voters of color, and voters with disabilities in the upcoming election. The recent rulings blocked certain aspects of Georgia’s Senate Bill 202 (SB 202), which unnecessarily mandates that voters include their birthdate on absentee ballot envelopes and prohibits the distribution of food and water to voters waiting more than 150 feet from polling places—a practice known as “line relief.” The plaintiffs successfully argued that these requirements violate the Civil Rights Act and the First Amendment.
