How Georgia's controversial new voting law compares with other states

By Emily Hawley, Op-ed contributor Sunday, April 18, 2021

Voting machines are set up for people to cast their ballots during voting in the 2016 presidential election. | Reuters/David Becker

Georgia’s controversial “Election Integrity Act of 2021” codified new voting laws for the contested state in the 2020 election. While critics have argued that it will curtail ballot access for many urban and suburban communities, many of Georgia’s new election rules are on par with voting laws in other states.

The 98-page GOP-backed legislation was written following the lack of confidence in Georgia's election systems in 2018 and 2020 due to allegations of both voter suppression and voter fraud.

“The stress of the 2020 elections, with a dramatic increase in absentee-by-mail ballots and pandemic restrictions, demonstrated where there were opportunities to update existing processes to reduce the burden on election officials and boost voter confidence,” the legislation reads.

The passage of the legislation has led to boycotts and outrage from the political left. Major League Baseball made headlines when it announced it would not hold its 2021 All-Star Game in Atlanta and moved the game to Colorado in opposition to the voting law.

President Joe Biden has called the voting legislation “new Jim Crow laws” and supported the MLB’s decision to move the game.

Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, has pushed back on the narrative surrounding the new bill. Calling the criticism “hyper-partisan rhetoric,” the governor argues that the legislation “will expand voting access in the Peach State.”

The following pages offer a look at what the new voting law entails compared to other states nationwide.