State of Georgia

Georgia Voter Suppression Law Challenge (Consolidated Case)

In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202

Consolidated lawsuit consisting of six lawsuits against Georgia’s voter suppression law, Senate Bill 202. The court consolidated the following cases after finding that they “involve virtually identical defendants and mostly the same facts and legal issues:” New Georgia Project v. RaffenspergerGeorgia State Conference of the NAACP v. RaffenspergerSixth District of the AME Church v. Kemp, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta v. Raffensperger, Concerned Black Clergy v. Raffensperger, United States v. Georgia. All filings for these lawsuits will be on this case page moving forward.

On Aug. 18, 2022, a federal judge denied the plaintiffs’ request to temporarily block the line-warming ban in S.B. 202. Exactly one year later, on Aug. 18, 2023, the judge temporarily blocked a provision of S.B. 202 that required election officials to reject a voter’s absentee ballot if the birth date written on an outer ballot envelope did not match the voter’s registration record. The judge declined to block the birthdate provision as it pertains to the state defendants.

On the same day, the judge also temporarily blocked the line-warming provision that imposed criminal penalties on individuals who handed out food and water to voters even if they were more than 150 feet from a polling place.

On Aug. 21, the judge declined to temporarily block provisions that limit the availability of drop boxes and restrict who can assist individuals in returning their completed absentee ballots. On Oct. 11, the judge declined to temporarily block five other provisions of S.B. 202.

On Sept. 18, the Republican intervenors and state officials appealed the decision temporarily blocking the line-warming ban and birth date provision to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Oct. 2, the Georgia NAACP and AME plaintiffs appealed the decision that granted in part and denied in part plaintiffs’ request to block the provision of the law that requires voters to put their birthday on the outer envelope of the absentee ballot. Litigation is ongoing.

Case Documents

Case Documents (11th Circuit)

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