In response to the November 2020 election, the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate have both proposed several bills to reform the election process. If signed into law, a number of these bills may impact Covenant students.
As a bicameral legislature (meaning two-part, typically referring to the House and Senate), the Georgia legislature requires that any bill proposed and accepted in one house be sent to the other house. If passed in both houses, the bill goes to the governor to be signed into law or vetoed. While it is significant that a reform bill be passed in one house, either Senate or the House, this does not automatically mean that the bill becomes law.
On Tuesday, February 23, the Georgia Senate passed the Senate Bill 67. Georgia Senate Bill 67 concerns identification for absentee voters. If also passed through the House and signed into law, absentee voters preparing to mail their ballot will have to submit proof of a photo ID, such as a driver's license ID number or passport copy. This represents a move toward more certain voter identification when only a signature has been required in the past. The Senate passed the bill 35-18. Of the approving votes, 34 were Republican and one was Democrat.
Georgia Senate Bill 67 has had a mixed reception. While many may see this bill as improving the integrity of the voting system, some people may be concerned that the bill will restrict some legal voters from casting their votes. If the bill becomes law, voting will be difficult for individuals who lack appropropriate photo IDs. While the added level of security in voting may make it more difficult to counterfeit votes, the restriction could disproportionately impact demographic minorities, including the elderly and the young, and racial minorities as well. Getting a Georgia driver's license before the next election cycle may be obligatory for Covenant students seeking to vote in Georgia.
Another bill was recently passed in the Georgia legislature. On March 1 House Bill 531 passed with a vote of 97-72 (only Republicans for, only Democrats against). If accepted in the Senate, House Bill 531 will reduce grant funding for county election offices and adjust early voting times and dates, along with other changes. House Bill 531 also includes additional identification requirements similar to the Senate Bill 67. Importantly, the change to voting dates will reduce weekend voting. Under the bill, early voting would be limited to business hours Monday through Friday for three weeks as well as one Saturday before the election. The aim of an adjusted voting schedule is to standardize in-person voting across the state.
Many students are occupied by class and work during the week, with weekends reserved for extracurricular activities, time spent with friends and family, or study. Under a new and shorter voting schedule as proposed, it may be more difficult for students to cast their vote in the allotted time frame.
House Bill 531 has received pushback from some stakeholders concerning specific bill components. The bill removes the use of mobile voting facilities except in emergencies. This, as well as the restriction of early voting to days between Mondays and Saturdays, will likely primarily impact Black voters. For example, these changes block the traditional "souls to the polls" civic events for voters from primarily Black churches who bus to polling stations and vote after Sunday service.
Another pushback comes against a potential tax increase. As grant funding for election activities will be reduced if House Bill 531 becomes law, alternative sources of funding will be pursued, including potentially increased taxes.
A sizable body of legislature has been generated in Georgia since the 2020 presidential election. Much of this is in response to the red-blue flip of the state. As the laws that dictate how elections are organized shift in the coming years, Covenant students can take a thoughtful stance to voting by keeping in tune with these changes.