Civil rights groups sue over Georgia voter challenges law

A group of civil rights advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday targeting provisions of a new Georgia law that empowers people to challenge the eligibility of thousands of voters.

Under a law that took effect July 1, voter challenges must be upheld if a Georgia voter registers in another state, claims a homestead exemption in a different jurisdiction or registers at a nonresidential address. Another provision, which takes effect Jan. 1, requires people who are “homeless and without a permanent address” to use the county registrar’s office as their mailing address.

he lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, says federal and state laws do not require people to have a “residential” address to be eligible to vote. It says the new law could expose college students living in dormitories, seniors in nursing homes and others living in locations deemed “nonresidential” under local zoning laws to meritless voter challenges.

The lawsuit also says the law creates unnecessary barriers to thousands of homeless people who are eligible to vote — forcing them to travel to a county office instead of receiving election mail at their preferred address.


https://www.ajc.com/politics/election/civil-rights-groups-go-to-court-to-oppose-georgia-voter-challenges-law/PTA3ROQI4FG7RATA46RVZ5U42M/