Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed into law new rules for challenging voters’ eligibility and measures to make it easier for third-party and independent candidates to qualify for the presidential ballot in the state. The Republican-controlled legislature passed these measures in March. The ACLU of Georgia plans to sue to block the new rules, which they believe are a setback for voters’ rights and access to voting.
The new law allows any political party or body that has obtained ballot access in at least 20 states or territories to qualify for Georgia’s presidential ballot. This could benefit third-party or independent candidates in a state that was narrowly carried by Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The law also changes voting procedures, including broadening the criteria for challenging voter registrations, such as evidence of death, obtaining a homestead exemption in a different jurisdiction, or registering to vote at a nonresidential address.
Since the 2020 election, false claims of voter fraud in Georgia have led to tens of thousands of voter eligibility challenges being lodged by individual activists. A 2021 Georgia law allowed a single voter to bring an unlimited number of challenges, leading to an influx of demands to remove voters from the rolls during the 2022 midterms. Critics argue that the new law could burden election officials with unnecessary work and fuel attacks on voter qualifications, potentially targeting individuals who live at the same address as their business.
Voting rights groups have raised concerns about using change-of-address data to challenge voter eligibility, as it may not accurately determine if someone is no longer eligible to vote in the state. The new law also requires homeless individuals to use the county registration office as their voting address, which opponents argue could make it harder for unhoused people to cast ballots if their voting precinct is far from where they are living at the time of the election. Fair Fight, a voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams, has characterized the law as voter suppression, accusing the GOP of focusing on overturning election results they do not like.
Critics argue that the changes to voter eligibility and registration processes could hinder access to voting for marginalized communities, such as homeless individuals and college students who may change their address frequently. The use of change-of-address data and broadening the criteria for challenging voter registrations could lead to an increase in baseless attacks on voter qualifications. The debate over the new law highlights ongoing concerns about voter suppression and access to the ballot in Georgia, a key battleground state in national elections.
