Axios
Civil rights groups are suing Georgia over a new law restricting electoral access
Several civil rights groups filed a lawsuit against Georgia election officials Thursday challenging Republican-made election restrictions signed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp. Why It Matters: The New Georgia Project, Black Voters Matter Fund, and Rise lawsuit asserts the restrictions violate the 1965 Suffrage Act and 14th Amendment by causing “undue encumbrances” on people of color and disproportionately affect young, poor and disabled citizens. Receive market news worthy of your time at Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Georgian law imposes new ID requirements, restricts the use of ballot boxes, changes early voting hours, bans third parties from collecting postal ballot papers, and bans non-election workers, among other things, from giving voters food and water restrictions, Kemp said when signing the law on Thursday that it will ensure that Georgia’s elections are “safe, accessible and fair”. But, but, but: Georgia’s Foreign Secretary Brad Raffensperger, one of the defendants in the lawsuit, has repeatedly said his office found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election despite unfounded claims to the contrary by former President Trump. The big picture: Georgia is the first battlefield state to enact comprehensive new laws to remove voting rights after the 2020 elections, which saw record levels of mail-in and early voting due to the pandemic. Dozens of GOP-led state lawmakers have proposed similar voting restrictions angering Democrats and voting rights activists. Read the lawsuit. Go deeper: Georgian lawmakers were released on bail after being arrested while signing the GOP voting law. More information from Axios: Subscribe to receive the latest market trends at Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
