Black Politics Now
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
Black Politics Now
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
No Result
View All Result
Black Politics Now
No Result
View All Result

Georgia Legislators ease path to challenge voter registrations

Black Politics Now by Black Politics Now
February 13, 2025
in Voter Rights
0
Georgia Legislators ease path to challenge voter registrations
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A few dozen voters lined up early at the Buckhead Library in Atlanta for the start of early voting on Monday, October 17, 2022. (Photo: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com). Img source: www.ajc.com

You might also like

Federal court won’t revisit ruling that weakens the Voting Rights Act in 7 states

Tarrant County hires law firm to defend redistricting map

Justice Department opposes ‘pre-clearance request’ in Alabama redistricting case

April 15, 2024 Story by: Editor

In a late-night session on Friday, Georgia lawmakers passed significant changes to state election laws. The new legislation broadens the criteria for challenging voter registrations, eliminates bar codes from printed ballots, and increases the documentation required from local election officials to certify elections.

The changes are set to take effect on July 1, pending Governor Brian Kemp’s signature.

Voting rights groups are particularly concerned about Senate Bill 189, which they argue could lead to an increase in voter registration challenges. Senate Bill 189 aims to streamline the process of challenging voter registrations, making it easier for individuals or groups to question the eligibility of registered voters. Conservative groups have already been systematically challenging large numbers of voters, particularly in districts like Atlanta’s Fulton and DeKalb counties. Current law requires each challenge to be evaluated individually, which can overwhelm local election resources, voting rights advocates warn.

“In past cycles, we have seen ordinary people who would come in and challenge hundreds of voters because of different lists,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. “In 2022 there was kind of sort of a gray area. Now with this, it is almost encouraging … really anti-democratic vigilantes to come in and challenge your right to be on the voting list.”

The new law outlines specific conditions for challenging a voter’s registration, such as registering in another state, using a different address for a homestead tax exemption, or registering at a nonresidential address. Challenges are not allowed within 45 days of an election.

During the 2022 Senate election, Republican candidate Herschel Walker faced scrutiny over his residency after reporters discovered he had a homestead exemption in Texas.

The legislation also prohibits the use of post office boxes as mailing addresses for voter registration. This poses a problem for small towns like Pine Lake in DeKalb County, where residents rely on post office boxes due to the lack of home mail delivery.

Additionally, the bill mandates that homeless individuals use the county registrar’s office as their mailing address for voter registration. Anti-homelessness advocates argue this could complicate the lives of both the homeless and county registrars and may violate the National Voter Registration Act.

“What we’re saying is that it should be easy for every citizen to vote,” Young said. “That’s what makes this a democracy. And all of these tricks to try to create barriers for Georgia citizens to have a voice in their government is anti-democracy.” Source: The Guardian

The bill passed mostly along party lines, despite objections from Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, who argued that significant changes to election law should not be made so close to the 2024 election.

“We know there is a national coordinated movement to challenge voters, to go and talk about how the voter lists are outdated and bloated,” said Kristin Nabors, state director for All Voting Is Local. “They’re just not. We have extremely clean voter rolls in Georgia. This is not a bill that we need, and particularly not in an election year.”

Senate Bill 189 also mandates that election officials use the printed text on a ballot to count votes instead of bar code scanning. It requires absentee votes and advanced voting totals to be tabulated within one hour of polls closing on election day. Additionally, anyone handling ballots or key election equipment must sign a tracking document to ensure chain of custody and use tamper-proof containers.

“This quantifies the fact that as ballots move through the process, they are properly documented and properly controlled,” said state senator Max Burns, a sponsor of the bill.

Recently, two Republican-appointed members of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections voted against certifying the March presidential primary, citing a lack of access to chain-of-custody documentation.

Opponents argue that the chain of custody requirement could be used as a pretext to reject future elections for technical reasons unrelated to the actual vote count.

The bill also removes the Secretary of State as an Ex Officio member of the state elections board and requires officials to provide high-resolution copies of ballots.

Share30Tweet19
Black Politics Now

Black Politics Now

Recommended For You

Federal court won’t revisit ruling that weakens the Voting Rights Act in 7 states

by Black Politics Now
July 4, 2025
0
North Dakota ruling blocks private suits under Voting Rights Act in 7 states

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has declined to revisit a decision that bars private individuals and groups from suing to enforce Section 2 of the Voting...

Read moreDetails

Tarrant County hires law firm to defend redistricting map

by Black Politics Now
July 2, 2025
0
Tarrant County Commissioners to vote on redistricting plan on Tuesday

Tarrant County commissioners have approved a $250,000 contract with the Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) to defend the county's recently adopted redistricting map against a lawsuit alleging racial...

Read moreDetails

Justice Department opposes ‘pre-clearance request’ in Alabama redistricting case

by Black Politics Now
July 1, 2025
0
The U.S. Department of Justice in Washington has announced that three men affiliated with white supremacist groups have been sentenced for their plans to target an energy facility in the northwestern United States, according to prosecutors. Credit: Sarah Silbiger for The New York Times.

The U.S. Department of Justice has lodged a statement of interest in the ongoing Alabama redistricting lawsuit—Milligan v. Allen—in the Northern District of Alabama.

Read moreDetails

Witnesses testify about Black communities split in NC redistricting plans

by Black Politics Now
June 18, 2025
0
Federal trial set to challenge North Carolina election maps

Before a three-judge panel, witnesses testified that the Republican-drawn 2023 redistricting maps fractured Black communities across North Carolina, weakening their political voice and violating the Voting Rights Act.

Read moreDetails

New Jersey assembly committee advances ‘John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act’ to safeguard voting rights

by Black Politics Now
June 18, 2025
0
New Jersey assembly committee advances ‘John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act’ to safeguard voting rights

A bipartisan Assembly committee has taken a decisive step toward bolstering electoral protections in New Jersey by advancing A4083, known as the John R. Lewis Voter Empowerment Act.

Read moreDetails
Next Post
Ongoing threat: Two years after Buffalo Massacre, hate crimes against Black communities persist

Ongoing threat: Two years after Buffalo Massacre, hate crimes against Black communities persist

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT

Related News

The United States Department of Justice seal is shown on a podium ahead of a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, on Thursday, April 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

DOJ Civil Rights Division opens discrimination investigation into Chicago city hiring practices

May 22, 2025
Black residents in Connecticut face higher mortgage denial rates

Black residents in Connecticut face higher mortgage denial rates

February 18, 2025
Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson confirmed on Monday that the government will not provide financial compensation to countries seeking reparations for Britain's colonial history. – Jonathan Brady/Getty

Slavery reparations not on agenda at Commonwealth summit, says No 10

October 21, 2024
Black Politics Now

Get informed on African American politics with "Black Politics Now," your ultimate source for political engagement.

CATEGORIES

  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Congressional Black Caucus
  • Criminal Justice
  • Data
  • Department of Justice
  • Diversity Initiatives
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Enviroment
  • Equity
  • Hate Crimes
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Investigations
  • Legal Defense Fund
  • NAACP
  • Policy
  • Real Estate
  • Reparations
  • Research
  • Sports
  • State Issues
  • Study
  • Supreme Court
  • Technology
  • Voter Rights
  • World

Quick Link

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of service
  • Contact us

Download Our App

© 2024 Black Politics Now | All Right Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
wpChatIcon
wpChatIcon
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
SUBSCRIBE

© 2024 Black Politics Now | All Right Reserved

Join the Movement, Subscribe Now!(Don't worry, we'll never spam you!)

Don’t miss a beat—get the latest news, inspiring stories, and in-depth coverage of the issues that matter most to the Black community. Be part of the conversation and stay connected.

Enter your email address