Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2021
CONTACT: press@secure-democracy.org
Secure Democracy: “Georgia Voters Deserve Better”
ATLANTA— In response to House and Senate passage of SB 202 this afternoon, Secure Democracy issued the following statement:
"Georgia lawmakers had an opportunity to unite to advance the election integrity and voting access measures that Georgia voters want, and it’s disappointing that they didn’t take it this session,” said Sarah Walker, executive director of Secure Democracy. “Beyond restricting early, in-person voting and erecting significant barriers to absentee voting — methods all voters, including older voters, military voters, and Republicans, have relied on heavily in Georgia for many years — this bill could undermine non-partisan election administration by turning Georgia’s elections administration over to partisan actors. Georgia voters deserve better than this for the sake of free and fair elections.”
Additional Background
THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE ADVANCED VOTING RESTRICTIONS OVER THE WILL OF GEORGIA VOTERS. Secure Democracy’s recent poll by conservative pollster Ryan Tyson found that — even in this highly politicized environment — Georgians show unwavering support for the freedom to vote.
Across party lines, Georgia voters approve of common-sense programs like early in-person voting and secure drop boxes. In fact, nearly 50% of Georgia voters who voted in person voted early, and almost 45% of absentee voters relied on drop boxes.
THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE ADVANCED VOTING RESTRICTIONS AGAINST THEIR OWN VOTERS. Research shows that restricting access to early and absentee voting options could really disenfranchise Republican leaders’ own voters.
Georgia is a heavy early in-person voting state, where more than half of the electorate typically votes early in-person, but the legislature just passed significant limitations on the hours of early, in-person voting. Weekend and evening hours are particularly important for working Georgians who may not be able to cast a vote during business hours. More than 266,000 Georgians voted on a weekend in the 2020 election.
Georgia also has had a strong tradition of absentee voting, dating back many years. The new barriers erected for absentee voters in Georgia will have a significant impact on Georgia’s voters, including those that are older, rural, and Republican.
Statewide and district-specific data analyzed by Secure Democracy reveals:
In Georgia’s 2020 primary election, Republicans actually cast more absentee ballots than Democrats and voted absentee at a higher rate than Democrats.
Nearly 2 million voters aged 55 or older voted early or absentee, as opposed to 268,000 voters casting their ballot on Election Day.
Among all Republican voters aged 55 or older in Georgia, 86% voted early or absentee in 2020. Among rural older adults in Georgia, 67% voted early or absentee in 2020.
In Georgia’s rural counties, more Republicans voted early than Democrats.
In both the 2020 primary and general election, Republican veterans and active duty service members were four times more likely to vote early than on Election Day and twice as likely to cast an absentee ballot than vote in-person on Election Day.
In the 2020 general election, Republicans also cast more early votes than Democrats and voted absentee at a higher rate than Democrats in the 2020 general election.
Of the Republican donors in Georgia, 60% voted early and 38% voted absentee.
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About Secure Democracy
Secure Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works to improve election integrity across the United States. We educate policymakers and the public about what it takes to safeguard our voting systems. We collaborate with state leaders, election administrators, election integrity experts, and allies to ensure that all eligible citizens have the freedom to vote how they choose.