'A gift to MAGA election deniers': Critics fume at new Georgia voting law
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation that allows more options to challenge election results while also restricting the options for voting.
The Republican governor signed bills into law that expand the opportunities to challenge a voter's eligibility, makes scanned ballots publicly available online, reduces the number of voting machines and requires election workers to be U.S. citizens, reported Law & Crime.
“By signing SB 189 to become law, Brian Kemp delivered a gift to MAGA election deniers,” said Fair Fight Action, a voting rights group founded by former Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
Senate Bill 189 establishes new "probable cause" criteria to allow residents to challenge voter qualifications, including evidence a person has died, voted in another election, obtained a homestead exemption on their taxes or registered to vote from a non-residential address.
They may also be removed from the voter rolls within 45 days of an election, which seems to violate the 90-day limit set by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
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The bill also would grant Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other third-party candidates access to the Georgia ballot if their party has qualified for the presidential ballot in at least 20 other states.
House Bill 974 will allow the public to access a database of scanned ballots that will be uploaded online by the second Friday after the election, but cleared of all personal identifying information, although it's not clear what cybersecurity measures will be taken to ensure the source data can't be hacked or otherwise made available before redactions are made.