Voting rights groups filed a lawsuit Thursday night just hours after Georgia passed a Republican-designed law that gives state lawmakers more power over elections and imposes a series of new voting restrictions.
The 35-page complaint filed in federal court in Atlanta alleges minority voters will be hit particularly hard by the new legislation, which plaintiffs say illegally suppresses voters’ rights in violation of constitutional protections and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
According to the lawsuit, the new restrictions “are clearly intended to and will have the effect of making it more difficult for legal Georgian voters to participate in state elections,” adding that the measure will impose “unjustified burdens” that will disproportionately affect people of color. , as well as young, poor, and disabled voters.
The lawsuit was closed shortly after Gov. Brian Kemp
Brian Kemp The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden shifts to filibuster Liberals think Biden just made getting rid of the filibuster easier Warnock visits Georgia State Rep. Cannon in Jail After Arrest: ‘She Didn’t Deserve This’ MORE (R) signed a sweeping bill in the election, tightening up voting rules in the Peach State by restricting the use of ballots and establishing requirements for absentee ID, among other restrictions.
The GOP-controlled State General Assembly gave final approval to the measure in a party-line vote on Thursday.
Democrats posted pivotal wins in recent races in Georgia, both in 2020 and earlier this year. The state sent two Democratic senators to Washington after a pair of second elections in January gave Democrats a razor-thin majority in the Senate. In November, President Biden
Joe Biden The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden shifts on filibuster GOP appears to weigh on Biden, Democrats at the border Sanders creates new headache for Biden over taxes MORE became the first Democratic presidential candidate Georgia won since former President Clinton in 1992.
Georgia’s new voting bill is one of dozens of measures being considered by state lawmakers across the country after the first President Trump
Donald Trump The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden Shifts On Filibuster GOP Seems To Press Biden, Democrats On The Border Elaine Luria Endorsed McAuliffe For Governor In Virginia Democratic Primary MORE has repeatedly lied about the theft of the 2020 presidential election through widespread voter fraud, a claim unsupported by evidence.
Updated at 11:07 AM