While the MLB and several other companies pull out of Georgia over the state’s newly passed voting laws, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy believes that Georgia’s critics should read through the bill.
“Why is it so wrong that somebody has to show an ID, that you have accuracy in elections, or in a Georgia law that you’re allowed to have an election by mail or vote early. I think that’s appropriate. I think people should read bills before they make judgments,” McCarthy said during an interview with CNBC.
Grammy award-winning actor and film producer Will Smith was the latest to announce that he will be pulling production of his upcoming movie “Emancipation” from Georgia over the new voting reforms.
“We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws that are designed to restrict voter access,” Smith and the movie’s co-director said in a joint statement. “The new Georgia voting laws are reminiscent of voting impediments that were passed at the end of Reconstruction to prevent many Americans from voting. Regrettably, we feel compelled to move our film production work from Georgia to another state.”
Georgia’s new controversial law, the Election Integrity Act of 2021, requires a state-issued or state-approved ID to cast an absentee ballot by mail.
“I was proud to sign S.B. 202 to ensure elections in Georgia are secure, fair, and accessible. I appreciate the hard work of members of the General Assembly to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” Georgia Governor Brian Kemp wrote to Twitter after signing the bill into law.
Critics of the new bill are alleging that it will make it more difficult for minority voters to cast a ballot.
However, according to a Rasmussen poll, at least 75% of Americans believe in Voter ID laws. Other polls conducted on the subject have found as much as 80% of Americans support requiring ID to vote.
Georgia’s new law also stipulates that drop boxes must be placed inside early voting locations so that they can be under surveillance by an election official, a police officer, or a licensed security guard at all times.
The new law also mandates two Saturdays of early voting, while giving the option to each individual county to allow two additional Sundays of early voting as well.
Lastly, the law requires absentee ballot requests to be submitted at least 11 days before election day. Georgia Representative Jan Jones said the provision will “increase the likelihood of a voter’s vote being cast successfully,” after many 2020 ballots were received days after election day across the country.
