Georgia Legislators Advance Bill to End No-Excuse Absentee Voting
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A subcommittee of the Georgia State Senate Ethics Committee voted 3-2 along party lines to advance a Republican-sponsored bill that would limit absentee voting. The bill, Senate Bill 71, would restrict absentee voting to people who are over the age of 75, are observing a religious holiday, have a physical disability or are out of town.
Currently, there is no excuse required for Georgia voters who wish to vote absentee. In 2020, no-excuse absentee voting set the stage for Georgia’s record-setting early vote turnout, where over 200,000 voters cast their ballots by mail. The bill, if passed by the Legislature, would undoubtedly suppress voters, especially as people continue to fear in-person voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
S.B. 71 will now advance to the full Georgia State Senate Ethics Committee and could be up for consideration as soon as this week.