Georgia’s GOP Governor Brian Kemp made it official on Tuesday, signing off on a new law that lays down the groundwork for how voter registration and elections will be handled in the state.
Kemp’s press secretary, Garrison Douglas, confirmed to USA Today that Kemp signed Senate Bill 189 (SB 189) into law on Tuesday.
SB 189 paves the way for the establishment of a process in each county to assist in removing certain voters from its voter registration database.
The law also establishes new rules regarding how homeless people can register to vote, explaining that homeless people without a permanent address must use the “registrar’s office” in their county as their mailing address for “election purposes.”
Under SB 189, voters can now be taken off voter registration lists as early as 45 days before an election.
According to CNN, the bill also simplifies the process for third-party candidates to secure a spot on the ballot, stating that “any political party or political body” listed on the ballot in 20 states can now appear on Georgia’s election ballot.
After Kemp signed the bill into law, the Georgia Senate Democrats issued a statement, criticizing Kemp for not vetoing it. They argue that by signing the bill, Kemp has enabled what they see as a potential for conspiracy theorists to sow chaos in future elections.
“Gov. Kemp’s refusal to veto SB 189, which will allow conspiracy theorists to turn our elections into utter chaos, says it all about the Republican Party in 2024,” the Georgia Senate Democrats wrote. “They only work to please their leader, Donald Trump.”
“Gov. Kemp’s decision to put his party over our state is no surprise,” the Georgia Senate Democrats added. “The Governor has signed and celebrated bills that strip money from public schools, give workers less power in the workplace, overcrowd our jails, and encourage racial profiling by law enforcement. This sad list makes the stakes clearer than ever.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Georgia also issued a statement, denouncing the bill as being a “step back for voter’s rights.”
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