The recent election law in Georgia has caused a stir in the political arena, with the Georgia NAACP and the Georgia Popular Agenda Coalition taking steps to prevent 14,000 voters from being removed from the rolls before the November general election. This was after two Fulton County voters filed a lawsuit to force the Fulton County Board of Elections to call impeachment hearings and purge voters. Fulton County, which includes most of Atlanta, had two recreational vehicles that roam the county during early voting periods, bringing voting centers to people in churches, parks and public libraries. This was used by voters of all political parties and, in many states, such as Georgia, they were under round-the-clock surveillance.
The new law, known as Senate Bill 202, requires that Georgia's 159 counties have at least one polling station, but no more than one for every 100,000 voters. This has caused tensions to intensify between state and county election officials in Georgia, particularly in Fulton County, the state's largest Democratic center. The changes include restricting access to mailboxes in the counties that used them the most, which also have the highest number of black and Democratic voters. This has caused experts to worry that even small changes in voter behavior and participation can influence election results and erode trust in the voting system, especially in a politically divided state like Georgia with a history of discriminatory electoral practices that disproportionately affect people of color. The Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Act, together with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, are filing a motion to dismiss the case on behalf of the Georgia NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the Popular Agenda.
This is to ensure that voter purges requested by the lawsuit would not violate both state law and the National Voter Registration Act. In conclusion, it is clear that voter suppression tactics are playing a major role in Fulton County politics. The new law has caused tensions between state and county election officials while also restricting access to mailboxes in counties with high numbers of black and Democratic voters. This could have a major impact on voter behavior and participation which could ultimately influence election results.
