Gov. Brian Kemp (R) Signs Restrictive S.B. 202

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed voter suppression bill Senate Bill 202 into law tonight at a televised press conference. The bill passed the Georgia House and Senate earlier today and was rushed to the governor’s desk for final passage. S.B. 202 includes a host of voter suppression measures like shortened absentee ballot timelines, drop box restrictions, the criminalization of “line warming” and much more. 

The bill originally passed the state Senate as a two-page clarification on who can be sent an absentee ballot, but ballooned in size to become a massive voter suppression bill after Republicans in the state House tacked on a 93-page substitution before a key committee vote. The bill then passed the Republican-led state House, returned to the state Senate for approval of the substitution and then moved to Kemp’s desk. 

In his press conference this evening, Kemp stated, “With Senate Bill 202, Georgia will take another step towards ensuring our elections are secure, accessible and fair.”

Read S.B. 202 here.