Georgia's Very Own Megathread!

[skbl17]

Well, the first salvo in the GOP's fight to restrict the absentee ballot system has been fired: SB 29, which would introduce photo ID requirements for most individuals voting by mail.

Under SB 29, individuals (except for UOCAVA - overseas and military - voters) who apply for an absentee ballot would have to submit a photocopy of an ID.

Those who vote by mail would also be required to submit a photocopy of their photo ID with their completed absentee ballot. Voters who don't submit a copy of their photo ID with their completed ballot will have it treated as a provisional ballot, so they'd have the same three-day post-election day period to "cure" their ballot by providing identification lest the ballot be officially thrown out.

For the record, I expect either this bill - either as is or as amended - or a similar version to reach Gov. Kemp's desk. What I'm wondering is if any other restrictions will be passed, considering House Speaker David Ralston's...hesitance...to go much further than having the same "security" for absentee ballots as other ballots.

[GeorgiaModerate]

AJC/UGA statewide poll, Jan. 17-28, 858 RV


Approval/disapproval:

President Biden (approval of transition): 59/33 (strongly 41/27)

Former President Trump: 40/57 (strongly 29/48)

Gov. Kemp: 42/51 (strongly 10/29)

Secretary of State Raffensperger: 46/32 (strongly 22/20)


Favorable/unfavorable:

President Biden: 52/41

Sen. Ossoff: 50/40

Sen. Warnock: 54/37

Stacey Abrams: 51/41

Democratic Party: 50/44

Republican Party: 34/59

[Real Texan Politics]

AJC/UGA statewide poll, Jan. 17-28, 858 RV


Approval/disapproval:

President Biden (approval of transition): 59/33 (strongly 41/27)

Former President Trump: 40/57 (strongly 29/48)

Gov. Kemp: 42/51 (strongly 10/29)

Secretary of State Raffensperger: 46/32 (strongly 22/20)


Favorable/unfavorable:

President Biden: 52/41

Sen. Ossoff: 50/40

Sen. Warnock: 54/37

Stacey Abrams: 51/41

Democratic Party: 50/44

Republican Party: 34/59

Wow that strongly approval rating for Kemp

He's finished.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

https://news.yahoo.com/republican-group-launches-stop-stacey-191102867.html

[lfromnj]

https://www.ajc.com/politics/ga-bills-would-end-no-excuse-absentee-voting-automatic-registration/OBTWL3M6MJH25MI56XGNNUODPY/

End of Automatic voter registration in Georgia?

[Virginiá]

Big surprise there. There was simply no way Republicans would lose that state and not immediately begin abusing their power in the state government to try and shrink the electorate as much as possible.

Just another example of why states can't be trusted to create rules for elections in this country.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://www.ajc.com/politics/ga-bills-would-end-no-excuse-absentee-voting-automatic-registration/OBTWL3M6MJH25MI56XGNNUODPY/

End of Automatic voter registration in Georgia?

I think the end of AVR is unlikely, but some of the other restrictions will probably pass.

[englandrightnow]

Why do so many people think Kemp is doomed? This is strange take.

Georgia just barely went for Biden and Kemp is an incumbent. I would say he is favored for now.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

He is favored and GA is a runoff system anyways, users need to realize that and Warnock isn't safe either in a runoff

[Virginiá]

https://www.ajc.com/politics/ga-bills-would-end-no-excuse-absentee-voting-automatic-registration/OBTWL3M6MJH25MI56XGNNUODPY/

End of Automatic voter registration in Georgia?

I think the end of AVR is unlikely, but some of the other restrictions will probably pass.

iirc Griff said that was a result of a lawsuit, so they'd have to do some other remedy to satisfy the courts.

It doesn't matter in the end. It might hurt a little bit, but it's not going to stop GA's trend any more than it stopped Democrats in Virginia. Republicans corrupt our electoral process for even the POSSIBILITY of a small chance, not even a guarantee. That's really what is infuriating about this. That our electoral integrity matters so little to them that they'd pull these hijinks just to have a chance at a very, very slightly better outcome for them.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Orgs like Fair Fight, New Georgia Project, Black Voters Matter,  Asian American Advocacy Fund, and Mijente will be flush with cash to combat these new voter suppression laws. They aren't going to stop Stacey Abrams.

[GALeftist]

Why do so many people think Kemp is doomed? This is strange take.

Georgia just barely went for Biden and Kemp is an incumbent. I would say he is favored for now.

Kemp is getting blasted from the left and the right, so he seems pretty vulnerable, plus Georgia has been known to not care that much about midterms.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Why do so many people think Kemp is doomed? This is strange take.

Georgia just barely went for Biden and Kemp is an incumbent. I would say he is favored for now.

Kemp is getting blasted from the left and the right, so he seems pretty vulnerable, plus Georgia has been known to not care that much about midterms.

Leans R, but the Senate rand is gonna be competetive

[skbl17]

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) issued a statement praising the Senate's passage of SB 40, 67, 184, and 188, citing the "bipartisan" nature of the bills passed.

- SB 40, introduced by Sen. Jen Jordan (D,) would have counties start processing absentee ballots a week before Election Day rather than after the polls close. Passed 53-0.

- SB 67, introduced by Sen. Larry Walker (R,) would eliminate signature verification for paper absentee ballot applications and require the applicant to provide either an ID number (driver's license or state ID) or a photocopy of the ID. This is how the online absentee ballot portal from 2020 worked. SB 67 would also authorize, under state law, the Secretary of State to maintain the online request portal; the portal was initially set up under emergency COVID-related rules, so this would codify the SoS's ability to set such a portal up (or keep the existing one in operation). Passed 35-18; only Michael Rhett joined Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

- SB 184, introduced by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R,) would impose a 30-day limit (down from 60 days) on county election boards to enter voter data for each primary or general election, fining them $100 for each day they take after that. Passed 37-15; three Democrats joined Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

- SB 188, introduced by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R,) would prevent counties from uploading election results until the total number of votes cast (i.e. early, absentee, and election day) is known. Passed 34-18; with Jen Jordan joining all voting Republicans to pass the bill.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) issued a statement praising the Senate's passage of SB 40, 67, 184, and 188, citing the "bipartisan" nature of the bills passed.

- SB 40, introduced by Sen. Jen Jordan (D,) would have counties start processing absentee ballots a week before Election Day rather than after the polls close. Passed 53-0.

- SB 67, introduced by Sen. Larry Walker (R,) would eliminate signature verification for paper absentee ballot applications and require the applicant to provide either an ID number (driver's license or state ID) or a photocopy of the ID. This is how the online absentee ballot portal from 2020 worked. SB 67 would also authorize, under state law, the Secretary of State to maintain the online request portal; the portal was initially set up under emergency COVID-related rules, so this would codify the SoS's ability to set such a portal up (or keep the existing one in operation). Passed 35-18; only Michael Rhett joined Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

- SB 184, introduced by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R,) would impose a 30-day limit (down from 60 days) on county election boards to enter voter data for each primary or general election, fining them $100 for each day they take after that. Passed 37-15; three Democrats joined Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

- SB 188, introduced by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R,) would prevent counties from uploading election results until the total number of votes cast (i.e. early, absentee, and election day) is known. Passed 34-18; with Jen Jordan joining all voting Republicans to pass the bill.

None of these seem too bad, but why was the last one necessary at all? What problem are they trying to fix with that bill?

[skbl17]

Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) issued a statement praising the Senate's passage of SB 40, 67, 184, and 188, citing the "bipartisan" nature of the bills passed.

- SB 40, introduced by Sen. Jen Jordan (D,) would have counties start processing absentee ballots a week before Election Day rather than after the polls close. Passed 53-0.

- SB 67, introduced by Sen. Larry Walker (R,) would eliminate signature verification for paper absentee ballot applications and require the applicant to provide either an ID number (driver's license or state ID) or a photocopy of the ID. This is how the online absentee ballot portal from 2020 worked. SB 67 would also authorize, under state law, the Secretary of State to maintain the online request portal; the portal was initially set up under emergency COVID-related rules, so this would codify the SoS's ability to set such a portal up (or keep the existing one in operation). Passed 35-18; only Michael Rhett joined Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

- SB 184, introduced by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R,) would impose a 30-day limit (down from 60 days) on county election boards to enter voter data for each primary or general election, fining them $100 for each day they take after that. Passed 37-15; three Democrats joined Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.

- SB 188, introduced by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R,) would prevent counties from uploading election results until the total number of votes cast (i.e. early, absentee, and election day) is known. Passed 34-18; with Jen Jordan joining all voting Republicans to pass the bill.

None of these seem too bad, but why was the last one necessary at all? What problem are they trying to fix with that bill?

Honestly, I don't know. If I had to hazard a guess, maybe the GOP is pushing this bill as a means to prevent the "finding votes" problem (i.e. "why did DeKalb/Fulton/wherever just add 5,000 votes to their totals despite it being three days after election day?"). It seems like the bill's cosponsors either don't understand how the vote counting process works - many counties don't truly know just how many UOCAVA and provisional ballots will be counted until the Friday after the election - or it's just a cynical sop to their constituents to point to and say they "did something" to "stop stolen elections".

[Canis]

Why do so many people think Kemp is doomed? This is strange take.

Georgia just barely went for Biden and Kemp is an incumbent. I would say he is favored for now.

Only having 10% of the state strongly approve of you as Incumbent governor is bad. I have a hard time seeing Kemp win the primary and if he does make it through the primary why would the trump supporting republicans turn out for him if they think he betrayed them? Kemp could still probably win reelection were still many months removed from the primary but things aren't looking too great for him right now and he's definitely not favored at the moment.

[Rookie Yinzer]

I don't see Kemp signing more of the egregious voter suppression bills. It will be interesting. I think the photo ID thing is a lock unfortunately.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Georgia friends: who are the Democrats voting for some of these bills? Are they the remaining Blue Dogs left in rural Old Georgia?

[S019]

https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1373688356358393856?s=21


Jody Hice expected to announce a primary against Raff very soon, possibly with Trump's support

[brucejoel99]

https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1373688356358393856?s=21

Jody Hice expected to announce a primary against Raff very soon, possibly with Trump's support

Trump's actions continue to be a blessing-in-disguise for Democrats in GA by poisoning the GOP bench there, news at 11.

[😥]

https://twitter.com/stphnfwlr/status/1373989839872405508?s=20

Jody Hice is in for SoS. It's Lean D now

[S019]

He was just endorsed by Trump

https://twitter.com/craigcaplan/status/1373997465226125320?s=21

[Left Wing]

this will win back gwinett county moderates

[Pink Panther]

https://twitter.com/stphnfwlr/status/1373989839872405508?s=20
Jody Hice is in for SoS. It's Lean D now

Why?   Atleast we get someone else in Congress(Unless it's the second coming of MTG).