Georgia’s Republican Governor, Brian Kemp, signed into law new regulations affecting voter eligibility challenges and the process for independent presidential candidate qualification. These changes, passed by the Republican-dominated state legislature, could significantly impact the upcoming elections in Georgia, a crucial battleground state.
Governor Kemp’s decision to sign these measures into law was not accompanied by a public statement. However, the ACLU of Georgia has announced plans to legally challenge these new rules, condemning them as detrimental to voter rights and accessibility.
One key provision of the new law pertains to presidential ballot access. It states that any political entity that has achieved ballot access in at least 20 states or territories can now qualify for Georgia’s presidential ballot. This alteration may particularly benefit third-party or independent candidates, streamlining the qualification process which previously necessitated gathering 7,500 signatures from registered Georgia voters.
Additionally, the law introduces modifications to voting procedures, notably broadening the criteria for establishing “probable cause” in voter registration challenges. This expanded definition now encompasses evidence such as a voter’s death, acquisition of a homestead tax exemption in another jurisdiction, or registration at a non-residential address.
The context for these changes lies in the aftermath of the 2020 election, marked by widespread false claims of voter fraud in Georgia. In response, individual activists initiated tens of thousands of voter eligibility challenges. The previous law, established in 2021, allowed a single voter to file an unlimited number of challenges, resulting in a significant administrative burden for election officials during the 2022 midterms.
Critics argue that the new law could further strain election officials and invite baseless attacks on voter qualifications. For instance, targeting individuals who share an address with their business. Moreover, the law permits the utilization of the US Postal Service change-of-address database for challenges, although it cannot solely justify canceling a voter’s registration.
Voting rights advocates have consistently contested the reliability of change-of-address data, emphasizing that it does not definitively prove a voter’s ineligibility. Factors such as college attendance, vacation homes, and military service often entail temporary address changes, without affecting voter eligibility.
Furthermore, the law now mandates homeless individuals to use the county registration office as their voting address, rather than their shelter location. Critics argue that this requirement may disproportionately disenfranchise unhoused individuals, as it could result in distant voting precincts relative to their current residence during elections.
The head of Fair Fight, a voting rights organization founded by former Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, has labeled the law as “voter suppression.” She contends that the Republican Party’s focus on these measures is primarily motivated by the narrow margin of victory for Joe Biden in Georgia in 2020, seeking to undermine votes they deem unfavorable and lay the groundwork for contesting election outcomes.
