What is the Election Integrity Act of 2021?
The Election Integrity Act of 2021, signed into law in 2021, brought modifications to Georgia's voting procedures as a preventative measure to voter fraud and yields various benefits. However, it has sparked a controversy as to its suppressiveness. It is argued that the new provisions could collectively suppress minority and low-income voters from voting.
Some provisions of the law for you to consider:
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Photo ID requirement for absentee voting: Photo ID is now required when mailing absentee ballots via mail.
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Limitations on ballot drop boxes: Counties now must limit one drop box per 100,000 people. Drop boxes were once accessible 24/7, however, they are now only available during early voting hours located in early voting sites. This can be a problem for Georgians with a busy schedule and transportation issues.
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Absentee ballots: Prior to this legislation, absentee ballots could be requested up to 180 days before Election Day. However, they can only be requested up to 78 days before an election. Applications must be received by the clerk 11 days before an election. If applications are sent in time by the applicant but encounters delays by the postal service, the clerk may not receive it in time by the designated timeframe. Thus, the application would be voided.
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Mail-in ballots: Mail-in ballots now require a submission of photo identification. Those who do not possess any form of photo identification no longer have an option to vote, unless they obtain one. This provision mainly affects colored communities, as they are less likely to own any, which will only widen the gap between the number of white voters and POC voters.
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State election board: The state election board now has the power to control underperforming local election boards.
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Ban on food and drink distribution to queueing voters: The law now prohibits the distribution of food and drinks to voters waiting in line to vote. Waiting in long lines can be extremely tiring and without food and water, many would be discouraged to wait in the long lines to cast a vote. This was implemented in fears of skewing election results by encouraging voters to vote for a certain candidate.
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Faster reported election results: Absentee ballots can be processed up to 2 weeks before an election, and voting counts must be finished by 5pm the day after Election Day.
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Hotline to report illegal practices: This provision rolls out a hotline that Georgians can call to report illegal voting activity or voter intimidation.
The provisions under the law do provide added security measures to the voting process and yields considerable benefits. We can now see faster reports, improved operation of election boards, and increased security measures. However, it does nothing to increase accessibility to voting. Rather, it creates additional barriers to voting and discourages individuals to make it out their way to cast a vote.
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Sign the following petition to join the momentum to end voter suppression in the state of Georgia!
