The House Special Committee on Election Integrity advanced a nearly 100-page voting bill that would expand early voting access, limit drop boxes, shorten runoffs and make other changes to state law.
The latest version of an omnibus voting bill in a Georgia House committee would extend hours, add a second mandatory Saturday and allow two Sundays. It's an about-face from proposals to effectively ban Sunday voting used in larger, more diverse counties.
A two-page Senate bill dealing with absentee applications has now been substituted for a 93-page election omnibus as House and Senate leaders continue to disagree on what voting restrictions should be approved.
Voting rights protesters gathered Monday outside the World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta and some threatened a boycott if the beverage giant does not speak out more forcefully against sweeping voting restrictions being considered in the Georgia Legislature.
Democrats passed the $1.9 trillion bill on a party-line vote, and Republicans do not appear ready to compromise on infrastructure, voting rights, the minimum wage, immigration or much else.
The fight over election law is not new to Georgia lawmakers, but prevailing views have changed. Republicans passed no-excuse absentee voting in 2005, over objections from Democrats concerned about the lack of ID required to vote by mail and stricter regulations to vote in person.
A new ad from the voting rights group founded by NBA superstar LeBron James speaks out against Republican-led efforts to roll back voting rights in states across the country, including Georgia.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance and ethics reform late Wednesday night along party lines in a 220-to-210 vote, but the historic package will face an uphill battle in the Senate as no Republicans currently support the bill.
Tuesday on Political Rewind, our focus is the ongoing debate over voting rights. The Georgia House yesterday passed a package of bills that critics say will likely reduce turnout in future elections. Meanwhile in Washington, the U.S. House may vote today on a sweeping measure designed to defend against state efforts to suppress voting, end gerrymandering and more.
Over objections from Democrats, Georgia House Republicans passed a sweeping elections bill that would enact more restrictions for absentee voting and cut back on weekend early voting hours favored by larger counties.
The tension between Georgia voter access and GOP lawmakers’ efforts to defuse perceptions of election irregularities last year continued to build Thursday as protesters, Democrats and civil rights groups denounced Republican legislation intended to restrict access to the ballot box.
Monday on Political Rewind: Voting rights groups are expressing outrage over a newly introduced 48-page bill that consolidates the dramatic changes Republican legislators want to make in how Georgians now vote. Opponents say the bills are clear efforts at voter suppression, but advocates say they are needed to restore public faith in the integrity of the state’s elections.
Plus, former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler announced a new voter registration group aimed at helping Republicans register likely conservative voters and advocating for conservative electoral policies.
Democrats who control Congress by narrow margins and the White House are making a fresh attempt to move forward a massive package that tackles dark money in campaigns, voter suppression and election security.
Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said Tuesday he supports legislation during the 2021 session that would add another verification for people casting paper absentee ballots after that method of voting became the source of controversy among his fellow Republicans in the 2020 election.
If the John Lewis Voting Rights Act becomes law, Georgia will likely be among the states requiring preclearance before lawmakers could change voting rules or counties could close a polling place.
