The Georgia House of Representatives recently introduced a new 40-page omnibus bill – H.B. 1464 – that undermines the freedom to vote and poses risks to our democracy.
Campaign Legal Center has submitted written testimony outlining serious concerns with the bill ahead of a Georgia Senate hearing tomorrow.
Among the most concerning measures are those restricting nonprofit organizations who want to donate food and water to voters waiting in long lines at the polls, giving the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) unprecedented power over Georgia’s elections, and decreasing the number of voting machines available at each precinct.
H.B. 1464 also includes provisions that make it easier for partisan bad actors to engage in third-party election audits, which could delay the finalization of election results and undermine voters’ confidence and trust in the veracity of Georgia’s elections.
While H.B. 1464 does include a couple of positive changes, including a provision that revises the misleading disclaimer from last year’s omnibus voter suppression bill that CLC is actively suing over, those isolated changes do not outweigh the harm that will be caused by the bill’s other provisions.
Moreover, less than two months ago, Gov. Brian Kemp promised that the state would not be passing anymore election law changes this year. If Gov. Kemp signs H.B. 1464 into law, he will not only make voting in Georgia harder for the second year in a row, but he will also be breaking his promise to Georgia’s voters.
Our democracy works best when all eligible voters can freely participate and feel confident in the results of our elections. When partisan politicians rewrite our election laws in a way that undermines the freedom to vote and erodes confidence in our elections, our democracy suffers.
This bill is a threat to our democracy and undermines every voter’s right to have their vote counted and voice heard – it must be stopped.