Georgia Governor Brian Kemp this evening signed into law SB 202 one of the most egregious voter suppression bills that effectively removes oversight of elections from independent local control to granting unprecedented powers to the Republican controlled Georgia legislature to potentially block certifications of election results. In addition to adding draconian voter identification for both ballot requests and ballot returns, it reduces early voting, and restricts access to drop boxes among other changes that directly target minority, poor and young voters. It also remarkably limits the power of the Georgia Secretary of State and local election boards. It removed the Secretary of State as the chair of the board of elections making that a position that will now be elected by the Republican controlled state General Assembly. It also shortened the runoff period from 9 weeks to 4 weeks, further reducing the early voting period giving voters five weeks less to get and mail back in their election ballots.
It removes oversight and control from independent local election boards and the Georgia Secretary of State who stood up to pressure from President Trump to overturn the 2020 Presidential election – they have now been neutered with this GOP power grab.
Republicans argue that this bill is an effort to “restore election integrity”. Let’s call it out for what it is – a blatant attempt to disenfranchise African American and Democratic voters who organized and sent two Democrats to the Senate in Georgia’s 2020 runoffs.
It is high time that Georgia corporations refuse to contribute any campaign donations to fund any Republican candidate in Georgia. This must not stand. Passing legislation designed to disenfranchise voters making it more difficult to vote and to remove independent local election oversight demonstrates that the Republican party is incapable of winning on the power of their ideas, they now turn to using the power of oppression to attempt to win future elections.
Barbara Kittridge is Founder / Partner at Motive LLC, an integrated agency bringing modern marketing techniques to the political and non-profit worlds.