Peach Tree Times

The Senate Ethics Committee in Georgia recently reviewed Senate Bill 221, which proposes new requirements for voter registration, including the necessity for voters to have a permanent address. The bill also outlines potential criminal charges for election workers, although the specifics of these charges remain unclear.

Following the committee hearing, the bill is set to advance to the Senate floor. Anne-Gray Herring, a policy analyst with Common Cause Georgia, expressed concerns about the bill's implications. She stated, "This election bill has harmful provisions that cater to conspiracy theories rather than helping voters and election workers."

Herring highlighted issues such as exacerbating mass voter challenges and vague standards for upholding these challenges. She criticized the bill's shift from an opt-out to an opt-in system for voter registration, noting that data from the Department of Driver Services is more reliable than other sources mentioned in the bill.

Additionally, Herring pointed out that many eligible voters might not have a permanent address due to various reasons like transient living situations or being unhoused. She emphasized that this should not lead to their removal from voter rolls.

Concerns were also raised by Georgia's Secretary of State’s office regarding potential violations of the National Voting Rights Act and doubts about the reliability of National Change of Address data.

Herring criticized the rapid progression of SB 221 through legislative procedures. "This bill was only released yesterday afternoon with a hearing at 7:30 am this morning," she noted, adding that public comment was severely limited during the hearing.

In her statement, Herring urged Georgia legislators to focus on protecting voting rights rather than imposing additional barriers based on unsubstantiated claims.