Well, well, well, it looks like Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has decided to take a page out of the GOP’s favorite playbook: messing with the state’s election laws just in time for the 2024 presidential election. I mean, why let a little thing like democracy get in the way of securing a victory for your party, right?
In a move that can only be described as a masterclass in voter suppression, GOP activists have been working tirelessly to challenge the eligibility of over 100,000 voters in the state. Their reasoning? They’re just trying to remove those pesky voters who have either moved out of state or have duplicate records. How noble of them! It’s not like they have any ulterior motives, like, oh I don’t know, disenfranchising certain demographics that tend to vote for the other party.
But fear not, citizens of Georgia, for Gov. Kemp has come to the rescue with his trusty pen! On Tuesday, he signed into law the glorious SB 189, which expands the list of probable causes for removing voters. Death, evidence of registering to vote in another jurisdiction, nonresidential addresses, or other primary addresses in a different location are now all fair game. Because apparently, the GOP thinks that people who have the audacity to move or, god forbid, die, should be stripped of their right to vote.
Now, here’s where things get really juicy. The most controversial part of this new legislation states that the National Change of Address list could be considered, but not exclusively. Supporters of this change argue that the definition of probable cause would actually make it harder for challenges to go through. Ha! That’s like saying that adding more holes to a sinking ship will make it more seaworthy.
On the other hand, opponents of the law have a slightly different take. They argue that these changes will only lead to more baseless attacks on voters, overwhelming election administrators and disenfranchising legitimate voters in the process. But what do they know? It’s not like they have any experience in running fair and free elections.
One of the examples that has been brought forward is that sometimes people end up living at a place of business, which would be considered a nonresidential address. But who cares about the nuances of people’s living situations when there are elections to be won? Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office has tried to inject some common sense into the debate, pointing out that confirming a voter’s eligibility should be based on more reliable information, like driver’s license data. But where’s the fun in that?
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the Georgia bill also allows challenges to lead to the removal of voters from the roll up to 45 days before an election. That’s right, folks! If you’re lucky enough to be targeted by one of these challenges, you could find yourself stripped of your right to vote just weeks before the big day. It’s like a twisted version of Russian roulette, but instead of a bullet, you get a big fat “No Vote for You!”
So, there you have it, folks. Georgia’s GOP is hard at work, ensuring that the 2024 presidential election is as fair and free as a rigged carnival game. But hey, at least they’re not hiding their intentions. They’re just blatantly trying to suppress the vote under the guise of “election integrity.” It’s almost admirable in its audacity.
As for the rest of us? Well, we’ll just have to sit back and watch as the GOP continues to chip away at the very foundation of our democracy, one voter at a time. But don’t worry, I’m sure they have our best interests at heart. After all, they’re the party of “small government” and “individual liberty,” right? Right?
