The Georgia election law

[Hoyt]

2. As Stacy Abrams said last year, voter education is key to dealing with Ga's law. OP is incorrect in

important aspects.

For example, you do not need a driver's license or state voter ID card to request an Absentee Ballot. Tha't the best/easiest way, but there are about 3.5% who do not appear to have those IDs.

"Besides a driver’s license or state ID, voters can submit copies of other forms of ID when requesting an absentee ballot, including a military ID card, a government employee ID card, a Georgia voter identification card, a U.S. passport, a current utility bill, a bank statement or a government check.

"ID is required again when voters return their absentee ballots, and they can also use the last four digits of their Social Security numbers as identification during that part of the process. . . . . .

"About 272,000 voters — 3.5% of all registered Georgia voters — don’t have a driver’s license or state ID on file with election officials, meaning they’d have to submit different identification documents to request and cast absentee ballots." [Note: that's not 272,000 Democrats.]

https://www.ajc.com/politics/new-georgia-absentee-ballot-request-forms-require-more-id/VVPMA4PP5BALXNLPDUQBKMKMK4/


You do not need a driver's license or state ID to request an absentee ballot. Acceptable forms of ID include:
Here's what the Secretary of State's Office says:

Acceptable forms of identification if you do not have a Georgia Driver’s License or State Identification Card Number

Identification with your photograph:
• United States Passport
• Georgia voter identification card
• Other valid identification card issued by a branch, department, agency, or entity of the State of Georgia, any other state, or the
United States authorized by law to issue personal identification
• United States military identification card
• Employee identification card issued by any branch, department, agency, or entity of the United States government, Georgia state government, or Georgia county, municipality, board, authority, or any other entity of the state of Georgia
• Tribal identification card

Documents that show your name and address:
• Current utility bill • Bank statement • Paycheck
• Government check • Other government document

https://sos.ga.gov/admin/uploads/2021_Absentee_App.9721_2.pdf

Further, the local Democratic agencies -- including Stacy Abrams' Fair Fight -- will help people who can't vote on election day or the several weeks of early voting. Plus, you can always mail in your ballot.


Under the new law, I don't particularly like that I will have to either mail in my absentee ballot or find one of the few drop boxes at polling places. That will require a few minutes, but small price to pay honestly.

There is also some concern about what the state can do to local election boards. But, I'll guarantee you that if the state tries to overrule a local election board, like Fulton or Dekalb Counties (essentially Atlanta), all hell will descend.

This is something I found posted earlier about what it would require to take over a local election board:

There is one part of the legislation that could really cause chit to fly -- the part about removing local election boards -- but even it is limited in GOPers' ability to steal an election. I am worried about that part, but this summary made me feel a bit better --

". . . . . . .In Chatham, the five-person elections board, four of whom are elected, acts as the superintendent. If, after a performance review, the majority of the State Elections Board votes that the county elections officials demonstrated "nonfeasance, malfeasance, or gross negligence," then they can appoint a replacement superintendent.

"But this provision has limits. It can only be done in four counties at a time. Plus, it would be impossible to put an appointee into place during or immediately following an election, since the preliminary hearing required beforehand must be at least 30 days after the request to investigate. [The certification deadline for Georgia counties is even shorter now: six days after the election, down from the previous 10-day deadline. It's 17 days after the election for the state certification.]"

https://www.savannahnow.com/story/news/2021/04/07/georgia-new-election-law-republicans-overturn-results-senate-bill-202/7092460002/




I know it's not popular to say we can handle the new law, but I think we'll survive Georgia's new legislation even if Congress doesn't enact voter safeguards. It will require education and help from our local organizations, though.

It's not that hard and I hope we don’t discourage voters by making it sound like their votes won't count. And, I don't think Georgia Democrats are as stupid and helpless as some seem to think.

Would I prefer the law and implementation during a pandemic was the same as in 2020, with similar results? Sure, but it's not and we better get our rears in gear and quit "whining" as Carville said the other day.