ATLANTA — Yesterday, Georgia Republicans rammed through as many anti-democratic, voter suppression bills as possible on the last day for legislation to crossover as part of GOP-led efforts to continue promoting the Big Lie to appease insurrectionists and conspiracy theorists.
By a single vote, Georgia Senate Republicans barely managed to force through SB 241, which would eliminate no-excuse absentee voting used by over 1.3 million Georgians — including 445,000 Republicans — in the last election while costing taxpayers at least $28 million. This legislation would not just leave counties with unfunded mandates and longer lines, but also directly attack a key method of voting for both Republican voters and voters of color.
But Georgia Senate Republicans didn’t stop at trying to eliminate voting by mail. They also forced through other bills aimed at suppressing the vote and grabbing power for themselves. They jammed through legislation that would severely limit early voting options, punish groups for promoting access to voting by mail while continuing to press forward with their efforts to take as much power for themselves as possible, at the expense of local control and the Secretary of State.
“This anti-democratic legislative agenda is an assault on Georgia voters and a transparent attempt by Georgia Republicans to placate violent far-right extremists and hold onto power,” said Fair Fight Action founder Stacey Abrams. “These bills are an insult to the over 1.3 million Georgians who voted absentee in the last election and harms Georgians of all political persuasions while undermining our democracy. This continuing assault on voting rights in Georgia shows the fierce urgency of passing HR 1 and HR 4 as Georgia Republicans continue to show their disdain for voting rights — and democracy itself.”
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