New Georgia Law Introduces Stricter Voter Roll Removal Rules, Eases Presidential Ballot Access

Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday signed a legislation to introduce new rules to remove voters from the rolls when their eligibility is challenged.

The amendment would also make it easier for an independent candidate to qualify for the presidential ballot.

Currently, independent or third-party candidates must collect at least 7,500 signatures from registered Georgia voters to qualify for the ballot in the state.

But under the new law, "any political party or political body" that has ballot access in at least 20 states or territories can qualify for Georgia's presidential ballot.

According to the legislation, known as SB 189, voters can be removed from the rolls for death, evidence of voting or registering in another jurisdiction, possession of a tax exemption indicating a primary residence elsewhere, or listing a nonresidential address.

It also allows to consider National Change of Address list, though not exclusively.

The GOP-controlled state legislature passed the measures in late March.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia said it would sue to block the new rules. Its executive director Andrea Young called the decision a "step back for voters' rights and voting access" in the state.

The legislation is expected to have a huge impact as Republican activists have challenged more than 100,000 voters in Georgia in recent years, saying they want to remove duplicate records and voters who have moved out of state.

Supporters of the legislation claim that it would raise the threshold for challenging voter eligibility, making the process more rigorous.

However, critics say that these changes could lead to an increase in baseless challenges against voters. This could potentially overwhelm election officials and disqualify legitimate voters.

For example, a person living at a place of business could be removed from the roll because it is considered a nonresidential address under the new law.

But, officials from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office said that there are more reliable sources of information, like driver's license data, for verifying a voter's eligibility.

President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in 2020 election, which sparked widespread false allegations of voter fraud in Georgia.

These claims were later debunked. But individual activists within the state have submitted tens of thousands of challenges to eligibility of Georgian voters.