Justice Division is suing Georgia over legislation discriminating towards black voters

Top line

The federal government is suing Georgia over a law that the Justice Department says will prevent black people from voting, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday to restrict access to voters. “

Attorney General Merrick Garland speaks at a news conference in April. He announced Friday morning … [+] that the Justice Department will sue Georgia for its newly-passed electoral laws that the Biden administration claims discriminate against black voters. (Photo by Almond Ngan-Pool / Getty Images)

Getty Images

Important facts

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the lawsuit on Friday morning.

Georgia’s law was passed in March “with the aim” of preventing black Georgians from voting, Garland said, and the law violates the voting rights law.

It is the first lawsuit by Biden’s Department of Justice against the wave of laws being passed in Republican-led states that include restricting voting times and the use of postal ballot papers and delivery points, the Washington Post reported.

Georgia’s law creates stricter requirements for receiving postal votes, “restricts the use of ballot boxes,” criminalizes providing voters with food and water while they stand in line, and allows Georgia to “take over local electoral bodies,” reported CNN.

The Justice Department is investigating whether new electoral laws violate federal electoral laws and “tracks the progress” of laws currently under scrutiny by state lawmakers, Garland said.

Crucial quote

“This lawsuit is the first of many steps being taken to ensure that all voters can cast one vote, that all legitimate votes are counted, and that every voter has access to accurate information,” Garland said.

Main critic

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp blown the lawsuit in a statement. “This lawsuit is born out of the lies and misinformation that the Biden government urged against Georgia’s electoral integrity law from the outset,” he said. Kemp said Biden is “arming” the Justice Department for an “agenda that undermines electoral integrity and enables federal government handover”.

tangent

Garland said the Justice Department is taking other measures to protect voting rights, including drafting new guidelines to make it more difficult for states to use redistribution to discriminate against groups of voters. Her department also orders federal prosecutors and the FBI to prioritize threats against election officials and volunteers made during the 2020 election and its aftermath with encouragement from former President Trump, who claimed officials allowed voter fraud to investigate.

further reading

Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Georgia State Over New Election Restrictions (Washington Post)

Justice Department Sues Georgia Over Electoral Restrictions (CNN)

Department of Justice Fils Georgia State to End Racially Discriminatory Provisions in New Electoral Law (Department of Justice)