by WorldTribune Staff, March 26, 2021
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law an election reform bill that will establish photo ID requirements for absentee voters and limit the number of ballot drop boxes.
Senate Bill 202 was passed along party lines by Georgia’s General Assembly with votes of 100-75 in the House and 34-20 in the Senate.
Kemp, in a Fox News interview on Thursday, refused to comment on whether the new law, if it had been in place prior to November of last year, would have swung the 2020 presidential election to Donald Trump.
“What do you think, governor, if this was in place in the 2020 presidential election? Would Donald Trump have won your state?” host Neil Cavuto asked. “Of course, as you know, he insists to this day that he did. But what do you think?”
Kemp replied: “I don’t want to go back and revisit the vote count here, Neil. But I think the issue is, when you look, we had a 351 percent increase on absentee ballot by mail. And when you have the signature check process that’s in Georgia, it became overly burdensome for the county elections officials. It took forever. It created a lot of doubt. At times, I’m sure it was arbitrary in places because of that volume.”
Cavuto interrupted: “But did it cost — in your opinion, governor, do you think it cost Donald Trump the election in Georgia?”
Kemp replied: “Well, I wouldn’t want to speak to that because I’m not the secretary of state. The election was certified. And that’s what — it is what it is.”
The new legislation will require voters in Georgia to provide a driver’s license or state-issued ID card number to request and submit absentee ballots. It also curtails the use of ballot drop boxes, limiting their placement to early-voting locations and making them accessible only while the precinct is open.
The bill also gives the Georgia State Elections Board the ability to take over county election boards in areas that may require oversight. Georgia’s Secretary of State, currently held by Brad Raffensperger, would also be removed as chair of the State Elections Board.
In addition, the legislation shortens the runoff election span, taking it from nine weeks after the general election to four weeks and prevents food or beverages from being given to voters who are waiting in line to vote.
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