Republicans Seek To Limit Early Voting in Georgia

WASHINGTON, D.C. On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the Georgia Republican Party, National Republican Senatorial Committee and Republican National Committee filed a motion to intervene in Democratic Party of Georgia v. Georgia. The lawsuit, filed by Democratic Party of Georgia, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Warnock for Georgia (Sen. Raphael Warnock’s (D-Ga.) campaign for U.S. Senate), seeks to prevent the state of Georgia from banning early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26. This lawsuit comes after the Georgia secretary of state’s office issued conflicting messages about early voting for the Senate runoff and then stated that counties are not allowed to offer early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26 due to a 2016 law that outlines when early voting can and cannot be held following a public holiday. Since the 2016 law that the secretary relies on does not include the word “runoff,” the plaintiffs allege that voters should not be prevented from voting early on Nov. 26 (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) for the runoff as it is neither a primary nor a general election. On Tuesday, Republicans sought to intervene in this lawsuit in an attempt to block early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26.

In their memorandum in support of their motion to intervene, the Republican committees argue that they have an interest in ensuring that Georgia does not allow for early voting on Saturday, Nov. 26. While the GOP filed a record number of lawsuits aimed at disenfranchising voters before the 2022 midterm elections, the post-election era has been relatively quiet. Despite the fact that election denialism, voter suppression and election subversion proved to be unpopular messages during the 2022 midterm elections, in one of their first post-election legal actions since the failed “red wave,” Republicans are attempting to limit early voting for the 2022 runoff. 

Read the motion to intervene here.

Learn more about the case here.