What’s happening?
A massive voting reform bill was passed by Republicans and signed into law by Governor Kemp. The new law implemented vast voter access and voting rights restrictions for Georgia voters.
Changes to Georgia elections
- Absentee ballots will be verified based on driver’s license numbers or other documentation instead of voter signatures.
- Ballot drop boxes will only be allowed inside early voting locations and available strictly during business hours.
- Weekend voting will be expanded for general elections, with two mandatory Saturdays offered statewide. Counties could also choose to offer early voting on two optional Sundays.
- Early voting for runoffs will be reduced to a minimum of one week because runoffs will occur four weeks after general elections.
- The deadline to request an absentee ballot will be set 11 days before election day.
- Members of the public will be prohibited from distributing food or water to voters waiting in line. Election workers are allowed to set up self-service water stations for voters in line.
- The State Election Board could remove county election boards and replace them with an interim elections manager.
- A hotline to report illegal election activities will be set up in the attorney general’s office.
- Counties will be required to certify election results within six days, instead of the 10 days currently allowed. Election workers will also be required to count ballots without stopping until they’re finished.
Read more
To read more, click here.