Justice Department suing Georgia over state’s new voting law

Sep 12, 2024 Story by: Editor

The Justice Department is suing Georgia over its newly passed election law , accusing Republican lawmakers of intentionally pushing through changes that disproportionately affect Black voters' access to the ballot box.

"Where we believe the civil rights of Americans have been violated, we will not hesitate to act," said Attorney General Merrick Garland when announcing the lawsuit.

Georgia’s Republican lawmakers, however, were quick to respond, vowing to defend the law. This move by the Biden administration follows Garland’s earlier statement that the department would closely examine voting laws passed in Republican-led states. The federal government is expected to act if prosecutors detect any illegalities.

The lawsuit comes amid growing pressure on the Biden administration to counter the surge of GOP-backed voting restrictions passed in numerous states. A recent effort by Democrats to overhaul federal election laws was blocked in the Senate by Republicans.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 22 restrictive voting laws have been enacted in at least 14 states as of mid-May. The Justice Department hinted at further scrutiny of other voting laws nationwide, emphasizing that it would intervene if illegal voter restrictions were found.

The heightened focus on voting rights underlines the administration’s commitment to civil rights, a key promise made by President Joe Biden and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who has been a leading civil rights attorney before taking her current role.

Georgia's Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, criticized the lawsuit, stating, "The Biden Administration has been spreading lies about Georgia’s election law for months. It is no surprise that they would operationalize their lies with the full force of the federal government. I look forward to meeting them, and beating them, in court."

Governor Brian Kemp echoed the sentiment, calling the lawsuit "legally and constitutionally dead wrong," labeling the accusations as "disgusting."

The bill, SB 202 , which became Georgia’s new voting law, introduced changes such as requiring voter ID for mail-in ballots, reducing the time to request a mailed ballot, and cutting the number of ballot drop boxes in metro Atlanta. The federal government sees these changes as disproportionally targeting Black voters, especially after the significant use of absentee ballots during the 2020 election.

"These changes come immediately after successful absentee voting in the 2020 election cycle, especially among Black voters. SB 202 seeks to halt and reverse this progress," said Clarke.

One of the most contentious elements of the law is the ban on providing food and water to voters standing in line, which Democrats argue is essential to supporting those waiting long hours to vote. Republicans, however, claim the measure is necessary to prevent electioneering at polling stations.

Before 2020, only two states required voter ID for requesting mail-in ballots. Now, in addition to Georgia, Florida lawmakers have passed similar laws. Clarke criticized Georgia’s law for imposing “new and unnecessarily stringent” requirements on absentee voting.

Georgia Republicans defended the law, stating that while drop boxes were a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic , the new law actually makes them a permanent option, although critics argue that the reduction in the number of drop boxes, especially in densely populated areas like Atlanta, will disproportionately impact Black voters.

Metro Atlanta, home to the state’s largest Black voting-age population, will see the number of drop boxes reduced from 94 to as few as 23 under the new rules.

NAACP President Derrick Johnson hailed the administration’s actions, calling Georgia’s law a “blatant assault on the American people’s most fundamental and sacred right, the right to vote.”

The law is already facing seven federal lawsuits from civil rights groups, with various claims challenging it under the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act . The Supreme Court is also deliberating on a separate voting rights case from Arizona, which could further alter the interpretation of the Voting Rights Act.

Additionally, the Justice Department announced the formation of a task force to prioritize investigating threats against election officials. Source: AP News