ATLANTA – Georgia voters could see local precincts split into more than one location and gain new protections against their absentee ballots being tossed for faulty signatures under a bill that passed the Georgia Senate Thursday.
Senate Bill 463 would allow precincts that serve more than 2,000 voters or experience wait times of more than one hour to be split into smaller precincts for the next election cycle. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office would further be tasked with determining whether precincts should have more voting machines and booths in subsequent elections.
The bill would also prohibit absentee ballots from being rejected if they possess signatures that do not exactly match the signatures shown on a voter’s identification document like a driver’s license, voter ID card or employee card.
Sen. John Kennedy, the bill’s sponsor, said the changes aim to expand voter access in Georgia by reducing precinct wait times and accepting more absentee ballots. He said the bill would give voters a better experience at the polls and boost the chances for having their votes counted.
“It moves things in a positive way,” said Kennedy, R-Macon.
The bill passed by a 35-19 vote along party lines. It now heads to the Georgia House of Representatives.
Voting precincts in Georgia and across the country have experienced lengthy wait times on election day in recent election cycles, raising alarms among voting rights advocates that long lines could deter people from voting.
In Georgia, voting rights advocates called foul after thousands of absentee ballots were rejected in recent elections for having signatures that did not strictly match a person’s identification document. The Democratic Party of Georgia sued the Secretary of State’s office in federal court to change how absentee ballots are handled, claiming the practice disenfranchises many voters without certain kinds of identification.
Opponents of the bill, particularly Democratic lawmakers, worried the proposed changes could end up curbing voter turnout in areas where precincts have been split. They criticized Kennedy and Republican lawmakers for the bill’s sudden appearance and sprint to the Senate floor, having been filed less than two weeks ago.
Several Democratic senators complained they were unable to propose amendments to the bill after Republicans mustered enough votes Thursday to “engross” the measure, meaning it could not be altered on the Senate floor.
“We’re dealing with something that is so fundamental to what we know as far as voting is concerned,” said Sen. Harold Jones II, D-Augusta. “Why are we rushing this through?”