DOJ Sues Georgia for Violating Voting Rights Act
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Justice Department is suing Georgia for passing laws intended to restrict ballot access for Black voters.
The right of all eligible citizens to vote is the central pillar of our democracy, the right from which all other rights ultimately flow,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland “This lawsuit is the first step of many we are taking to ensure that all eligible voters can cast a vote; that all lawful votes are counted; and that every voter has access to accurate information.”
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Garland said Georgia experienced record voter turnout in the 2020 election cycle, which should be “cause for celebration.” Instead, Georgia lawmakers passed a bill that made it harder to vote, he said. Among the provisions targeted in the suit:
• A ban on government entities distributing unsolicited applications for absentee ballots.
• Fines imposed on groups that distribute follow-up absentee ballot applications.
• A shortened deadline to request absentee ballot applications.
• A requirement that those without a driver’s license must photocopy another form of ID to request an absentee ballot.
• Limits on use of drop boxes for absentee ballots.
• A ban on providing food or drinks to people in voting lines.
• A ban on counting out-of-precinct provisional ballots cast before 5 p.m. on Election Day.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons/Yoichi Okamoto.