Today, in a matter of just hours, both the House and Senate approved a substitute version of SB 202, an anti-voter ‘omnibus’ that allows the highly-partisan state Legislature to appoint a quorum of the State Election Board, and allows state takeover of county elections offices. Governor Brian Kemp is expected to sign the bill at 6:30pm today.

There’s nothing more fundamental to our government than our ability to cast our ballots and have our voices heard. Georgians’ right to vote should be protected -- not subjected to partisan whims. We urge the Senate to turn down this effort to impose partisan control on our state’s elections.

Common Cause Georgia opposes the bill because it “burdens access to the ballot for valid Georgia voters, disproportionately voters of color and low income voters, and it strips local election authorities of tools they need to effectively administer elections,” according to Common Cause Georgia Executive Director Aunna Dennis.

SB 221 would create a huge loophole in Georgia’s current campaign finance limits, by allowing unlimited donations to a new type of political committee -- controlled by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and legislative leadership. It would allow big corporations and out-of-state big money donors to buy our elections.

'They want to make it harder for people to vote. They want to make it easier for special interests to buy our government. And they want to put our constitutional rights at risk. This is a case study in how to take government away from the people.'

The Georgia Legislature’s practice of leaving the public out of “the people’s business” reached a new low today. At 3pm, the House Special Committee on Election Integrity started a hearing on HB 531, a 48-page “omnibus” bill on elections filed by Republican lawmakers – which was filed only two hours ago.