Georgia Senate Passes Election Reform Bill That Would End No-Excuse Absentee Voting

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Georgia Senate Passes Election Reform Bill
That Would End No-Excuse Absentee Voting


BY MIMI NGUYEN LY
March 8, 2021
Updated: March 8, 2021



Georgia’s state Senate passed a comprehensive election reform bill on Monday
that would, among multiple provisions, repeal no-excuse absentee voting and
limit mail-in ballots to certain criteria.

The Republican-backed bill passed with a vote of 29-20. It now goes to the
House Elections Integrity Committee where it is expected to be passed in the
next several weeks. The bill must pass by March 31 to have a chance of becoming
law by the end of the 2021 legislative session in Georgia, subject to Gov. Brian Kemp’s
decision whether to sign or veto it.

The bill, SB 241 (pdf), contains sweeping changes to the Georgia Code related
to elections and voting. Under the proposed legislation, those who are eligible to
vote by mail will be limited to people who are physically disabled; or are
over 65 years old; are eligible as a military or overseas voter; have a religious holiday
around election day; work in elections; or somehow need to be outside their
voting precinct during the early voting period and election day.

The bill would also eliminate no-excuse absentee voting, something that has
been allowed in Georgia since 2005.

Among other provisions, the bill would require voter identification to request an absentee
ballot. In addition, Georgia would be required to participate in a nongovernmental multi-state
voter registration system to cross-check the eligibility of voters. The state’s current
participation is voluntary. The bill also clarifies a law about mobile voting units, saying
that these units be used only to replace current brick-and-mortar voting facilities, and
not supplement them.

Under the bill, a telephone hotline would be set up to receive complaints and reports
regarding voter intimidation and election fraud, which would be reviewed by the
Attorney General within three days. The state Republican caucus said the hotline would
help build trust in the election system since the host of the hotline, the Attorney General,
is separate from the office running the election, the Secretary of State’s office.

“We’ve spent several hundred hours doing research and policy development around
election integrity, addressing the lack of faith and integrity in our current election systems
as expressed by many of our citizens,” the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus said in
a statement. “We encourage all citizens to practice their civic duty, and in return, it
is our responsibility to ensure public confidence and trust in the system, ensuring our
rights are protected. SB 241 codifies open and honest reformation to a multitude of
areas regarding election oversight, voting processes, and transparency.”

Shortly prior to the vote on the bill, Georgia Republicans issued a statement saying,
“We want every person to vote. We want elections to be secure. We are open to
solutions, but Georgia will not be vulnerable to voter fraud.” The statement presumably
refers to the 2020 presidential election, which saw numerous allegations of voting
irregularities and allegations of election fraud.

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Georgia’s No. 2 Republican, chose not to preside over the
debate of the bill. He told the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he “refuses to
be the presiding officer for a measure he so adamantly opposes,” according to the
outlet.

John Albers, Kay Kirkpatrick and Brian Strickland, were the only Republican state
senators who did not co-sponsor the bill. All three also chose to be excused from
the vote. Another Republican, Chuck Hufstetler, was also excused from the vote.

Republican Majority Leader Mike Dugan, the main sponsor of the bill, said that amid
the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic in the last election cycle, a surge
in absentee ballots posed a burden on county election offices, reported The Associated Press.

“The increasing burden on local election offices and the increased cost to each of our
counties has risen significantly,” Dugan said, according to the news wire service.
“In recent years the number of mail-in absentee ballots has increased to the point
where counties are in essence running three elections simultaneously.” He added
that an estimated 2.7 million Georgians would still be eligible to vote absentee
under the criteria outlined in the bill.

Last week, the House passed its own version of an election reform bill, HB 531,
which has many overlaps with SB 241. However, the House bill would still allow
no-excuse absentee voting.

A number of other voting-related bills passed on Monday in the Georgia senate.

SB 62, which passed by a vote of 37-15, would require that all election ballots to
contain additional security elements, as well as the name and designation of the
voting precinct.

SB 202, which passed by a vote of 32-20, would prohibit anyone other than the
Secretary of State or local elections officials from sending absentee ballot applications
to voters who have requested an absentee ballot.

SB 74, which passed by a vote of 36-18, would expand the areas where poll watchers
have access in the tabulation centers, such that they can be in any areas where
ballots and election results are received and processed.

SB 72, which passed by a vote of 48-5, would require county registrars to review
updated records of deaths in the county every month, and use the information to
update voter registration records.