Georgia Election Reform Bill

[Steve M. Galbraith]

A good, straightforward story on the bill is here: https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/03/27/what-does-georgias-new-voting-law-sb-202-do

As the story explain, the bill mostly affects absentee and/or early voting, something that because of the pandemic overwhelmed some election authorities last year (more than 1.2 million absentee votes were mailed in). For example, a completed application for an absentee vote has to arrive two weeks before the election instead of one. The photo ID requirements for requesting and returning a vote can be waived if you swear an oath that the person is you. So, you don't need to show a photo ID. Secure absentee boxes have been added; voters can just drop their votes off instead of having to mail them.

So the restrictions have been tightened and loosened. It's both harder and easier.

The most controversial aspect - voters in line can't get water - is more complicated. You can bring food and water yourself. And you can get a drink from a "common" fountain/receptacle. But outside groups can't bring free food and water to voters unless they say more than 150 feet away from the voting line. If they give the food/water to a poll watcher then that official can then hand it out. Apparently in the last election a number of outside groups were doing this and people were complaining. Again, you can get water. And food. But there are limits now on how to obtain it. To me, these are minor changes but I can see how one can oppose them.

From the story: "Another new rule that affects both in-person early voting and election day voting would prohibit anyone except poll workers from handing out water to voters in line, and outlaw passing out food and water to voters within 150 feet of the building that serves as a poll, inside a polling place or within 25 feet of any voter standing in line. Depending on the location, it is still possible for third-party groups to have food and water available  — and it is possible for the lines to extend beyond 150 feet."

Overall, I can see how one can view these as unnecessary and unwarranted and that we should be making voting easier and not harder; and any attempts, even sincere ones, to limit fraud can be abused to suppress voting. But I think to call it "Jim Crow" type repression is frankly irresponsible language especially when race relations are tense. But that's how things go today.

The entire bill (98 pages) is here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20527915-sb-202-as-passed

[Tom Scully]

Steve, isn't the most controversial aspect the fact that the motivation for passing any new GA legislation is that it is based on lies and that it legalizes in the state of GA what Trump illegally demanded happen?

EXCLUSIVE: Georgia's Raffensperger says provision ...
[Search domain www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/georgia-secretary-of-state-raffensperger-voting-law-strip-power-retribution] https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/georgia-secretary-of-state-raffensperger-voting-law-strip-power-retribution
Republican lawmakers included a provision in Georgia's voting reform law that strips the secretary of state of some power over elections — a move Brad Raffensperger, the incumbent, says is ...
Raffensperger weighs in on new Georgia election law
[Search domain www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-elections-head-backs-new-voting-law-with-some-concerns/YLP2H6FD5NEOFKXLLFKCEKDYLU/] https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-elections-head-backs-new-voting-law-with-some-concerns/YLP2H6FD5NEOFKXLLFKCEKDYLU/
The law removed Raffensperger, a Republican who rejected claims of widespread fraud in Georgia, as chairman of the State Election Board, which will be empowered to take over troubled county ...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/geoff-duncan-georgias-gop-lieutenant-governor-says-giulianis-false-fraud-claims-helped-lead-to-restrictive-voting-law/ar-BB1fp51K
 Geoff Duncan, Georgia's GOP lieutenant governor, says Giuliani's false fraud claims helped lead to restrictive voting law
By Sara Murray and Jason Morris, CNN 2 days ago

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2021/03/29/by-punishing-raffensperger-the-gop-moves-one-step-closer-to-nullifying-democracy/
By Punishing Raffensperger, The GOP Moves One Step Closer to Nullifying Democracy
by David Atkins
March 29, 2021
...The direct implications of the new law are alarming enough: conservatives with an interest in voter suppression could use their authority to disrupt election administration in majority-minority counties. The possibilities for mischief by a partisan legislature fearful of high turnout by opposed constituencies are endless.

[Richard Smith]

Another fake media narrative.  The Dems need 80-90 percent of the minority vote to win most elections.  In order to maintain that majority, they must frame every issue in terms of race discrimination.  Any African-American who lived through the real Jim Crow era decades ago should be outraged by the false comparison to the GA reform bill.  Like Russian collusion, "find the fraud", Hunter's lap top as the product of Russian disinformation, it is a totally and demonstrably fake spin.  Designed to sow hostility between races and perpetuate a false narrative to ensure that minorities continue to support dems. 

[Tom Scully]

Another fake media narrative.  The Dems need 80-90 percent of the minority vote to win most elections.  In order to maintain that majority, they must frame every issue in terms of race discrimination.  Any African-American who lived through the real Jim Crow era decades ago should be outraged by the false comparison to the GA reform bill.  Like Russian collusion, "find the fraud", Hunter's lap top as the product of Russian disinformation, it is a totally and demonstrably fake spin. Designed to sow hostility between races and perpetuate a false narrative to ensure that minorities continue to support dems.

Richard, Trump and you are not victims. You are aggressors, unless you have evidence supported justification to attempt to legislate restrictions on voters or "to enhance" partisan legislature control of local election administration. Trump scaring you and you believing his lies is not justification, it is complicity.

https://medium.com/@tgof137/whats-the-average-iq-of-trump-voters-b46603548b35


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_West_Virginia
West Virginia - 68.6 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Alabama
Alabama - 62 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Oklahoma
Oklahoma - 65.3 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Kentucky
Kentucky - 62 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Tennessee
Tennessee - 60.7 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Mississippi
Mississippi - 57.6 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Louisiana
Louisiana - 58.4 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Arkansas
Arkansas - 62.4 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Illinois
Illinois - 40.5 percent Trump

Businesses are about maximizing profits of share holders.

Generation Z Looks a Lot Like Millennials on Key Social ...
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/01/17/generation-z-looks-a-lot-like-millennials-on-key-social-and-political-issues/
No longer the new kids on the block, Millennials have moved firmly into their 20s and 30s, and a new generation is coming into focus. Generation Z - diverse and on track to be the most well-educated generation yet - is moving toward adulthood with a liberal set of attitudes and an openness to emerging social trends.. On a range of issues, from Donald Trump's presidency to the role of ...

8 Characteristics Of Millennials That Support Sustainable ...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/margueritacheng/2019/06/19/8-characteristics-of-millennials-that-support-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/
Jun 19, 2019Millennials are committed to implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including equality, climate change, peace, justice, poverty, and prosperity. They have unique consumption trends that...

https://www.postconsumers.com/2012/02/13/are-you-a-demographic-how-advertisers-target-you/
"Take, for example, the “golden” demographic: white men between the ages of 18 and 35. That group tends to have more money and buying power than other demographic groups, so TV programs like football games tend to have commercials that appeal to men in that particular group...."

Sept. 4, 2018 :
Colin Kaepernick: Nike suffers #justburnit backlash over ...
[Search domain www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/45407340] https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/45407340
Critics have burned Nike trainers and clothing in protest at Colin Kaepernick's appointment as the face of the brand's new advertising campaign. The American football quarterback, 30, protested...

Colin Kaepernick 'Dream Crazy' Ad Wins Nike an Emmy - The ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/sports/football/colin-kaepernick-nike-emmy.html
Sep 16, 2019 Colin Kaepernick 'Dream Crazy' Ad Wins Nike an Emmy The spot surprised the public, revealing that Nike extended its contract with the quarterback known for protesting social issues. Still, it's...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-corporate-america-is-declaring-independence-from-the-gop/2021/04/11/a472bf90-9af2-11eb-8005-bffc3a39f6d3_story.html
Why corporate America is declaring independence from the GOP
...ongoing showdown between aggrieved Republicans and corporate leaders willing to criticize the party’s efforts...
Michele L. Norris · Apr 11, 2021

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/11/companies-voting-bills-states/
More than 100 corporate executives hold call to discuss halting donations and investments to fight controversial voting bills
...More than 100 chief executives and corporate leaders gathered online Saturday to discuss taking new action...
Todd C. Frankel · Business · Apr 11, 2021

Nike pulls Betsy Ross flag shoes after Kaepernick ...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nike-pulls-betsy-ross-flag-shoes-after-kaepernick-complaint-report-n1025626
July 2, 2019
By Ben Kesslen Nike has pulled a new Fourth of July shoe featuring Betsy Ross' flag for the 13 American colonies reportedly after Colin Kaepernick expressed concerns, sparking outrage among some...

[Richard Smith]

Richard, Trump and you are not victims. You are aggressors, unless you have evidence supported justification to attempt to legislate restrictions on voters or "to enhance" partisan legislature control of local election administration. Trump scaring you and you believing his lies is not justification, it is complicity.

https://medium.com/@tgof137/whats-the-average-iq-of-trump-voters-b46603548b35


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_West_Virginia
West Virginia - 68.6 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Alabama
Alabama - 62 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Oklahoma
Oklahoma - 65.3 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Kentucky
Kentucky - 62 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Tennessee
Tennessee - 60.7 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Mississippi
Mississippi - 57.6 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Louisiana
Louisiana - 58.4 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Arkansas
Arkansas - 62.4 percent Trump
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election_in_Illinois
Illinois - 40.5 percent Trump

Businesses are about maximizing profits of share holders.

Generation Z Looks a Lot Like Millennials on Key Social ...
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/01/17/generation-z-looks-a-lot-like-millennials-on-key-social-and-political-issues/
No longer the new kids on the block, Millennials have moved firmly into their 20s and 30s, and a new generation is coming into focus. Generation Z - diverse and on track to be the most well-educated generation yet - is moving toward adulthood with a liberal set of attitudes and an openness to emerging social trends.. On a range of issues, from Donald Trump's presidency to the role of ...

8 Characteristics Of Millennials That Support Sustainable ...
https://www.forbes.com/sites/margueritacheng/2019/06/19/8-characteristics-of-millennials-that-support-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/
Jun 19, 2019Millennials are committed to implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including equality, climate change, peace, justice, poverty, and prosperity. They have unique consumption trends that...

https://www.postconsumers.com/2012/02/13/are-you-a-demographic-how-advertisers-target-you/
"Take, for example, the “golden” demographic: white men between the ages of 18 and 35. That group tends to have more money and buying power than other demographic groups, so TV programs like football games tend to have commercials that appeal to men in that particular group...."

Sept. 4, 2018 :
Colin Kaepernick: Nike suffers #justburnit backlash over ...
[Search domain www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/45407340] https://www.bbc.com/sport/american-football/45407340
Critics have burned Nike trainers and clothing in protest at Colin Kaepernick's appointment as the face of the brand's new advertising campaign. The American football quarterback, 30, protested...

Colin Kaepernick 'Dream Crazy' Ad Wins Nike an Emmy - The ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/sports/football/colin-kaepernick-nike-emmy.html
Sep 16, 2019 Colin Kaepernick 'Dream Crazy' Ad Wins Nike an Emmy The spot surprised the public, revealing that Nike extended its contract with the quarterback known for protesting social issues. Still, it's...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-corporate-america-is-declaring-independence-from-the-gop/2021/04/11/a472bf90-9af2-11eb-8005-bffc3a39f6d3_story.html
Why corporate America is declaring independence from the GOP
...ongoing showdown between aggrieved Republicans and corporate leaders willing to criticize the party’s efforts...
Michele L. Norris · Apr 11, 2021

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/11/companies-voting-bills-states/
More than 100 corporate executives hold call to discuss halting donations and investments to fight controversial voting bills
...More than 100 chief executives and corporate leaders gathered online Saturday to discuss taking new action...
Todd C. Frankel · Business · Apr 11, 2021

Nike pulls Betsy Ross flag shoes after Kaepernick ...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nike-pulls-betsy-ross-flag-shoes-after-kaepernick-complaint-report-n1025626
July 2, 2019
By Ben Kesslen Nike has pulled a new Fourth of July shoe featuring Betsy Ross' flag for the 13 American colonies reportedly after Colin Kaepernick expressed concerns, sparking outrage among some...

That's a long, rambling post that has little or nothing to do with the Georgia election reform bill.  Prior to the 2020 election, the Dems used the pandemic as an excuse to change the voting laws in most every state in a way that was most advantageous to them.  And it worked.  That made the difference between winning and losing the presidential election.  Old Joe, who almost never left his home to campaign, received more votes than Reagan, Obama, Clinton, FDR or any presidential candidate in history who ever ran for that office.  He received the vast majority of votes that were cast by methods that had been changed prior to the election.  An outlandish outlier. 

The Georgia bill simply restores some common sense guidelines to ensure the integrity of the election process.  It is an outrageous falsehood to suggest those measures are anything like the Jim Crow laws.  An insult to those people who suffered under those laws to even make that comparison.  Purely designed to escalate racial tension for political purposes.  And when did open ended early voting become a right in this country?  For hundreds of years, we were able to conduct elections on election day with no issues.  But now voters can't manage to get to the polls?  They need weeks or months to vote including weekends or it is somehow discriminatory?  And even worse, they don't have to request ballots, sign them, or provide any form of ID?  That's nonsense.  If you want early voting and voting by mail, there must be common sense guidelines.  If those are too onerous, just show up at the polls and vote on election day.  Hundreds of millions of people manage to do that with no problem.

[Joe Elliott]

A good, straightforward story on the bill is here: https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/03/27/what-does-georgias-new-voting-law-sb-202-do

As the story explain, the bill mostly affects absentee and/or early voting, something that because of the pandemic overwhelmed some election authorities last year (more than 1.2 million absentee votes were mailed in). For example, a completed application for an absentee vote has to arrive two weeks before the election instead of one. The photo ID requirements for requesting and returning a vote can be waived if you swear an oath that the person is you. So, you don't need to show a photo ID. Secure absentee boxes have been added; voters can just drop their votes off instead of having to mail them.

So the restrictions have been tightened and loosened. It's both harder and easier.

The most controversial aspect - voters in line can't get water - is more complicated. You can bring food and water yourself. And you can get a drink from a "common" fountain/receptacle. But outside groups can't bring free food and water to voters unless they say more than 150 feet away from the voting line. If they give the food/water to a poll watcher then that official can then hand it out. Apparently in the last election a number of outside groups were doing this and people were complaining. Again, you can get water. And food. But there are limits now on how to obtain it. To me, these are minor changes but I can see how one can oppose them.

From the story: "Another new rule that affects both in-person early voting and election day voting would prohibit anyone except poll workers from handing out water to voters in line, and outlaw passing out food and water to voters within 150 feet of the building that serves as a poll, inside a polling place or within 25 feet of any voter standing in line. Depending on the location, it is still possible for third-party groups to have food and water available  — and it is possible for the lines to extend beyond 150 feet."

Overall, I can see how one can view these as unnecessary and unwarranted and that we should be making voting easier and not harder; and any attempts, even sincere ones, to limit fraud can be abused to suppress voting. But I think to call it "Jim Crow" type repression is frankly irresponsible language especially when race relations are tense. But that's how things go today.

The entire bill (98 pages) is here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20527915-sb-202-as-passed

Agreed. While I am concerned about changing voting laws, I don’t think the new Georgia law is clearly outrageous. And it is too much to call it Jim Crow. Absentee ballots are suppressed, but voting on the weekends leading up to the election are allowed.

Can’t hand out water because it could be seen as a bribe? A little hard fetched, but I don’t see it as a deal breaker. Giving election workers the bottle water and allowing them to hand it out won’t work too well. They are busy enough helping voters. If one of them takes time to hand out water, it will slow down the processing of voters. But I see it as a small matter.

I have some concerned about the all-important run-off elections that Georgia commonly has after the main early November election. Will enough weekends be made available for the subsequent runoff election? We will see. It is something the media needs to monitor in the coming 2022 and 2024 elections. Do the new rules avoid long lines for both the main and runoff elections? Is so, I think we can live with the new law.

[Tom Scully]

Agreed. While I am concerned about changing voting laws, I don’t think the new Georgia law is clearly outrageous. And it is too much to call it Jim Crow. Absentee ballots are suppressed, but voting on the weekends leading up to the election are allowed.

Can’t hand out water because it could be seen as a bribe? A little hard fetched, but I don’t see it as a deal breaker. Giving election workers the bottle water and allowing them to hand it out won’t work too well. They are busy enough helping voters. If one of them takes time to hand out water, it will slow down the processing of voters. But I see it as a small matter.

I have some concerned about the all-important run-off elections that Georgia commonly has after the main early November election. Will enough weekends be made available for the subsequent runoff election? We will see. It is something the media needs to monitor in the coming 2022 and 2024 elections. Do the new rules avoid long lines for both the main and runoff elections? Is so, I think we can live with the new law.

The common reaction to the corruption that is the Georgia Trump party's ratification of Trump's big lie and their legalizing of the crimes Trump committed in Georgia is that Steve, Richard and Joe choose not to address these crimes against democracy, AT ALL !

All they have to do next time to service their authoritarian goals is to interfere with the voting admin. and counting in counties most populated by minorities.:

Trump voter fraud claims target counties with with large Black, Latino populations
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/01/trump-voter-fraud-claims-target-counties-more-black-latino-votes/6391908002/
Dec 1, 2020In Pennsylvania, the Trump campaign targeted Philadelphia County, where 43% of the population is Black and 15% is Hispanic or Latino. Other legal challenges were mounted in Georgia's Chatham County, where 41% of the population is Black, ...

The new Georgia law makes Trump court challenges unnecessary!

https://www.wdtv.com/2021/03/31/after-backlash-delta-ceo-says-ga-voting-law-unacceptable/

"...and allows the Republican-controlled State Election Board to remove and replace county election officials while curtailing the power of the secretary of state as Georgia’s chief elections officer."

Republicans insist the changes are needed to restore voters’ confidence.."

All three of you post, "Look over here", instead!

Georgia Secretary Of State Defends State's New Voting Law ...
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/985474722/georgia-secretary-of-state-says-new-voting-law-restores-confidence
4 days ago It removes the secretary of state as chair of Georgia's State Election Board, allowing the Republican-majority board to take over local election offices temporarily. The secretary, too, can no...

Trump might have 'found' votes he wanted under new Georgia ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/04/03/georgia-voting-law-boosts-republican-control-of-elections-column/4840793001/
Apr 3, 2021 Tucked inside the new Georgia elections law is a measure that shifts a significant amount of election oversight power from the secretary of state and county election boards to the legislature.

[Joe Elliott]

Georgia Secretary Of State Defends State's New Voting Law ...
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/985474722/georgia-secretary-of-state-says-new-voting-law-restores-confidence
4 days ago It removes the secretary of state as chair of Georgia's State Election Board, allowing the Republican-majority board to take over local election offices temporarily. The secretary, too, can no...

Trump might have 'found' votes he wanted under new Georgia ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/04/03/georgia-voting-law-boosts-republican-control-of-elections-column/4840793001/
Apr 3, 2021 Tucked inside the new Georgia elections law is a measure that shifts a significant amount of election oversight power from the secretary of state and county election boards to the legislature.

Tucked inside the new Georgia elections law is a measure that shifts a significant amount of election oversight power from the secretary of state and county election boards to the legislature. The measure removes the elected secretary of state as chair of the state election board and replaces him or her with an appointee of the Republican-run legislature. 

Such a coincidence! Just a few months after Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says “no” to magical vote-finding, the legislature takes a chunk of power and authority from his office and shifts it to someone of their choosing — and, we can only assume, more likely to do their bidding.

In theory, under the new law, an election could be stolen, if the legislature is willing to do so. In theory, under the old law, an election could be stolen, if the Secretary of State was willing to do so.

I am willing to give the new law a chance. If there are problems, clearly too long ballot lines in the November election, or clearly too long ballot lines in a subsequent runoff election, or the state legislature arbitrarily awarding a candidate a victory he did not win, then corrective action must be taken.

The Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who stood up to Trump in his attempt to steal the November 2020 election, endorses the new law. For the present, I am willing support the opinion of Brad Raffensperger. My opinion, and the opinion of Brad Raffensperger, may change, depending on future developments. But for now, I will defer to the judgement of Brad Raffensperger and accept the new Georgia election law.