First battlefront drawn in Georgia in epic fight over future of American elections

The Republican-controlled state put itself firmly in the camp of voter ID requirements, limited drop boxes and expanded weekend voting.

Countered Abrams on Twitter: "Now more than ever, we need federal action to protect voting rights as we continue to fight against these blatantly unconstitutional efforts that are nothing less than Jim Crow 2.0." Democrats are pinning their hopes on the federal legislation known as H.R. 1, which would create federal mandates outlawing voter ID requirements and permitting widespread mail voting, while Republicans are turning to their GOP-controlled legislatures in the key battleground states and possibly the Supreme Court for a final verdict.

Remarkably, the concept of voter ID that was widely embraced just 16 years ago by a bipartisan election commission chaired by former President Jimmy Carter has now become the leading symbol of what Democrats allege are Republican voter suppression tactics, even though most Americans need an ID for flying, buying beer or taking the SATs.

The 95-page bill written by Republicans passed the House of Representatives in a 100-75 party-line vote and in the Senate by a 34-20 party-line vote.

The law also: restricted ballot drop boxes to be located inside early voting locations, and to be unavailable in the last four days of an election; expanded weekend voting before general elections with required voting hours on two Saturdays statewide, and the option for counties to offer early voting on two Sundays; empowered the State Election Board to assume control of county election boards that it deemed need intervention; reduced the time span between elections and runoffs from nine weeks to four weeks.

"You are changing the rules, cutting the voting hours, and making it more difficult for people to vote. Too many people fought, bled and died for our right to vote." Republicans countered that the 2020 election was conducted under rules that were too loose and undermined confidence in lawful voting.

On Friday, several Georgia voting rights groups filed a complaint alleging the voting Law Gov. Kemp signed on Thursday illegally suppresses votes in violation of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and other constitutional protections, according to The Hill.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/first-battlefront-drawn-georgia-epic-fight-over-future-american-elections