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Republican Voter Suppression Efforts

Looks like they passed that law last year to eliminate Saturday voting due to that holiday.
 
PhDeac said:
Looks like they passed that law last year to eliminate Saturday voting due to that holiday.
Click to expand...
Not exactly. The weird no voting on the 2nd Saturday before an election if Thursday or Friday are holidays law has been on the books since before SB202, but with slightly different context. Before SB202, there was one required day of Saturday voting and SB202 expanded that to two days - the 2nd and 3rd Saturday before the election (generally, but for a runoff, time is so condensed, there is no way there could be two Saturdays), but SB202 also took away the ability to have voting on days other than those specified in the statute.

SB202 also changed the timing of Federal runoffs from 9 weeks from the general election to 4 weeks from the general election - Georgia was able to do that because they changed to ranked choice voting for UOCAVA absentee voters. However, if there had been state runoffs prior to SB202, those would have been 4 weeks from the general election.

I think the law was written to apply during general and primary elections where there is a clear cut early voting period; not in a runoff where early voting has to start "as soon as possible," (this is the ACLU's position), but unfortunately, it's not what the law says. There's a little wiggle room b/c it says if the 2nd Saturday falls after a Thursday or Friday holiday, then early voting happens on the 3rd Saturday, but it is clear that can't happen in the runoff because early voting can't start until after the general election is certified.

I don't give the Georgia legislature any benefit of the doubt, but the more I've read on this, the more I think this was shitty drafting, as opposed to an intentional attempt to do away with Saturday voting in runoff. The speed at which these bills get passed means shitty drafting happens all the time at both the federal and state level. In attempting to change as little language as possible from the existing law, they tried to keep a provision that made sense when there was only one required Saturday, but doesn't make sense with two. Don't get me wrong, I think the Pubs are thrilled at the outcome, I just don't think they actually realized it was the outcome at the time it passed. The fact that the Pub SOS's office originally said there would be Saturday voting seems to track that.
 
I’m talking about the law they passed last year not the older law. I certainly think they knew setting a new date would eliminate Saturday voting.
 
PhDeac said:
Looks like they passed that law last year to eliminate Saturday voting due to that holiday.
Click to expand...

Definitely feels like a long con played out over multiple years. They knew they were going to shorten the runoff time to have it collide with the holiday when they passed that law and tried to claim it wouldn't have an impact with the typical 9 week runoff.
 
Wakelaw2006 said:
Not exactly. The weird no voting on the 2nd Saturday before an election if Thursday or Friday are holidays law has been on the books since before SB202, but with slightly different context. Before SB202, there was one required day of Saturday voting and SB202 expanded that to two days - the 2nd and 3rd Saturday before the election (generally, but for a runoff, time is so condensed, there is no way there could be two Saturdays), but SB202 also took away the ability to have voting on days other than those specified in the statute.

SB202 also changed the timing of Federal runoffs from 9 weeks from the general election to 4 weeks from the general election - Georgia was able to do that because they changed to ranked choice voting for UOCAVA absentee voters. However, if there had been state runoffs prior to SB202, those would have been 4 weeks from the general election.

I think the law was written to apply during general and primary elections where there is a clear cut early voting period; not in a runoff where early voting has to start "as soon as possible," (this is the ACLU's position), but unfortunately, it's not what the law says. There's a little wiggle room b/c it says if the 2nd Saturday falls after a Thursday or Friday holiday, then early voting happens on the 3rd Saturday, but it is clear that can't happen in the runoff because early voting can't start until after the general election is certified.

I don't give the Georgia legislature any benefit of the doubt, but the more I've read on this, the more I think this was shitty drafting, as opposed to an intentional attempt to do away with Saturday voting in runoff. The speed at which these bills get passed means shitty drafting happens all the time at both the federal and state level. In attempting to change as little language as possible from the existing law, they tried to keep a provision that made sense when there was only one required Saturday, but doesn't make sense with two. Don't get me wrong, I think the Pubs are thrilled at the outcome, I just don't think they actually realized it was the outcome at the time it passed. The fact that the Pub SOS's office originally said there would be Saturday voting seems to track that.
Click to expand...

They are pleading ignorance for a well laid out plan played out in multiple acts.
 
Yeah. You can’t believe Republicans accidentally disenfranchised voters.
 
PhDeac said:
I’m talking about the law they passed last year not the older law. I certainly think they knew setting a new date would eliminate Saturday voting.
Click to expand...
Agree to disagree - I've been in the soup with the Georgia legislature (and more specifically, legislative counsel) in getting bills drafted enough to know that when they want to do something, they do it clearly. There was so much scrutiny of SB202 - and plenty of testimony and media appearances by Democrats - and this was never mentioned (not that it would have mattered if it was). I genuinely don't think anyone realized this was the result until last night - it was an oversight on all sides that worked to the Republicans' advantage (maybe - Marc Elias is all over this and while I don't think he'll be successful with a challenge in a Georgia state court, if there is a way to get federal jurisdiction, maybe there's a chance).
 
Suit filed in Fulton County Superior Court re: Saturday voting and I think they make a really good argument - one that I fully admit I didn't see when I read the statute. The general idea is that the no Saturday voting provision only applies to primaries and general elections. This is bolstered by the fact that the statute uses "primary, election, or runoff" in one spot, but only uses "primary or election" in the provision about Saturday voting. I know I said I don't think they can win in state court, but I think this is a really strong argument. I still don't think anyone had any idea of the effect of this provision in SB202 and I still don't think it was some grand plan by the GOP - I think it was sloppy drafting, but I would rule in favor of the plaintiffs based solely on statutory construction, setting aside my feelings (which would decidedly not be the feels of the GA COA and Supreme Court) that any ambiguities should be resolved in favor of increased access to the polls.

 
GOP member of the Wisconsin Election Commission openly brags about suppressing minority votes in Milwaukee and elsewhere in the state. On a side note, Wisconsin GOP Senator Ron Johnson defeated his Democratic opponent last year by less than 27,000 votes.

“We can be especially proud of the City of Milwaukee (80.2% Dem Vote) casting 37,000 less votes than cast in the 2018 election with the major reduction happening in the overwhelming Black and Hispanic areas.” — Wisconsin Republican official Robert Spindell
 
It's getting tougher and tougher for me to find republicans I'll vote for but I will do it. Can't vote for a democRAT because... newt gingrich told me not to.
 
Yeah…communism an’ takin’ mah hard earned money an’ jus’ givin‘ it t’ them lazy irresponsible people. Can’t vote for that!
 
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