It's now or never for Democrats: either pass H.R. 1 or watch voter suppression bills like Georgia's

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

become the norm

Georgia's Senate Bill 202 is by far the most draconian law passed by any state legislature with respect to restricting access to voting. This is merely an opening salvo in a widespread assault on the right to vote, and other Republican-controlled state legislatures are hoping to pass similar bills. The only way to head off the wave of attacks on the fundamental right of all citizens to have equal access to vote is for Democrats to use their slim majorities to immediately pass new voter protections. If HR 1 (the For The People Act) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act don't become law, Georgia's anti-voting law will become just one of many.

Republicans are moving the goal-post

A New York Times analysis of the new Georgia elections law (SB 202) found that, among other things, it limits the window of time to request an absentee ballot, makes it illegal for election officials to mail absentee ballots to all voters, levies criminal penalties for anyone who gives water to voters in long lines, severely limits the number of ballot drop boxes, and replaces the secretary of state as chair of the State Election Board with someone elected from the state legislature. The Georgia legislature (which has been under Republican control since 2005) also now has the power to remove municipal and county election officials and replace them with people appointed by partisan state lawmakers.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) has argued the new law is necessary to make the state's elections "secure, accessible, and fair." This is despite Georgia's Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, stating in a Washington Post op-ed that "Georgia's voting system has never been more secure or trustworthy." Even Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R) thought the bill went too far to curb access to voting.

Various civil rights groups have since filed a legal challenge to SB 202, petitioning for the law to be rendered unconstitutional and in violation of the Voting Rights Act. But because Georgia is part of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and because a majority of the circuit's judges were appointed by Republican presidents, SB 202 may very well be upheld. Even if the 11th Circuit struck down the law, appellants could end up swaying the United States Supreme Court, which maintains a 6-3 conservative majority. Moreover, Chief Justice John Roberts even wrote the majority opinion in the landmark voting rights case that opened the door for bills like SB 202 to become law across the country.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/its-now-or-never-for-democrats-either-pass-hr-1-or-watch-voter-suppression-bills-like-georgias-become-the-norm/ar-BB1fz5hW

[alwaysinasnit]

1. k&r for visibility

[Pobeka]

2. k&r. Should be #1 priority IMHO. n/t