ATLANTA — Today, Gov. Brian Kemp allowed Senate Bill 189 (SB 189) to become law, imposing more barriers for Georgia voters and elections administrators. This law lowers the barrier for making biased and baseless voter challenges around the state, creates confusion for unhoused voters, makes it more difficult for county elections boards to interpret the law, and increases requirements for already overworked elections officials.
The ACLU of Georgia strongly opposes this bill and issues the following statement:
“SB 189 is a step back for voters’ rights and voting access in the state of Georgia,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia. “Most importantly, this bill will require already overburdened election workers to spend time processing unnecessary voter challenges. As always, elected state officials should work to make voting easier and not more difficult for Georgia citizens. We are committed to protecting Georgia voters and will see the governor in court.”
SB 189 also requires all advance and absentee ballots to be counted within an hour of the polls closing (an unworkable mandate) and demands costly and unnecessary ballot design changes.
