Georgia Governor Signs Sweeping Election Security Bill Over Bipartisan Opposition
The legislation tightens voter ID requirements for absentee ballots, reduces the number of drop boxes, and gives the State Election Board new powers to investigate county election officials.
Tamara Osei
State Politics Reporter
1 min read
ATLANTA — Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a sweeping election security bill into law Wednesday, drawing immediate legal challenges from voting rights groups.
The bill tightens voter ID requirements for absentee ballots, reduces the number of ballot drop boxes from 94 to 23 statewide, and grants the State Election Board new authority to investigate and potentially remove county election officials.
"Georgia's elections are secure, and this bill makes them even more so," Kemp said at a signing ceremony at the State Capitol.
Democrats and voting rights advocates immediately condemned the legislation. "This is Jim Crow 2.0," said state Rep. Park Cannon, D-Atlanta. "It is designed to make it harder for Black Georgians to vote, and we will fight it in every court in the land."
About the Author
Tamara Osei
State Politics Reporter at Atl Daily Now