{"id":2212792,"date":"2024-04-04T08:06:01","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T12:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-achieves-major-election-integrity-wins-in-recently-wrapped-legislative-session\/"},"modified":"2024-04-04T08:06:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T12:06:44","slug":"georgia-achieves-major-election-integrity-wins-in-recently-wrapped-legislative-session","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-achieves-major-election-integrity-wins-in-recently-wrapped-legislative-session\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia secures key wins for election integrity in latest legislative session"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgeorgia-achieves-major-election-integrity-wins-in-recently-wrapped-legislative-session%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2212792&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Georgia State \u200cSenate passed significant election integrity bills after intense \u2062negotiations in the last legislative \u200csession. Measures included enhancing \u200bballot\u2062 verification, fortifying \u2063ballot custody protocols, and\u200c establishing criteria for challenging voter\u2064 rolls. The bills aim to\u2063 address past election \u200cirregularities and increase public trust in the electoral process. Based on the \u2064provided\u2062 search results for Georgia&#8217;s election administration and recent \u2062legislative actions, \u200dit is evident that the Georgia State Senate \u2064has been actively addressing election integrity issues. The passage of significant \u2064election bills indicates a commitment \u200cto\u200b enhancing \u200cballot verification\u2062 processes, strengthening ballot custody protocols,\u200c and setting standards \u200bfor \u2063challenging voter rolls. These measures\u200b aim to rectify past election irregularities and bolster public confidence \u200din the electoral system.<\/p>\n<p>The content from Ballotpedia highlights the election administration in Georgia, \u200dshowcasing features such as online\u2064 voter registration,\u200d early voting \u200doptions, and polling hours. This demonstrates the existing framework within which the\u2063 recent election integrity\u200c bills have been developed \u2063and \u2062implemented by the State Senate.<\/p>\n<p>NBC News\u200d reported on the passing of a broad elections bill by\u200b the\u200d Georgia legislature, emphasizing the implications \u2062and potential legal challenges, \u2062including concerns \u200craised by\u2063 the ACLU. The bill&#8217;s significance in\u200c the\u200d 2024 electoral landscape underscores its impact on voting processes and the response\u200d it may elicit from various stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the Georgia Recorder&#8217;s coverage of\u2064 lawmakers potentially adjusting\u2063 election rules \u2064in the\u200d 2024 legislative session sheds light on the evolving nature of electoral regulations \u200cin the state. \u200bThis ongoing legislative activity reflects the dynamic environment in which election integrity measures are being deliberated and \u200dimplemented to safeguard the\u200c electoral \u2063process.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the combined information from these sources \u200bunderscores the multifaceted efforts undertaken \u2063by the Georgia State Senate to promote election integrity, address past shortcomings, and enhance \u2064public trust\u2062 in the electoral system.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>It took some wheeling and dealing, but Georgia lawmakers passed significant election integrity bills last week \u2014 just in the nick of time. <\/p>\n<p>As The Federalist <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/27\/georgia-legislature-tackles-key-election-integrity-measures-before-session-ends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> last week, the Georgia State Senate was prepared to take up House <a href=\"https:\/\/legiscan.com\/GA\/text\/HB976\/2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bill 976<\/a> \u2014 a meat and potatoes election integrity package \u2014 on the final day of the General Assembly\u2019s session. As is often the case in legislation facing Sine Die, it took some maneuvering to get the package over the finish line. Lawmakers added the provisions of HB 976 to <a href=\"https:\/\/legiscan.com\/GA\/rollcall\/SB189\/id\/1417864\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senate Bill 189<\/a> and passed the latter in the House before it went back to the Senate \u2014 just as the clock was ticking down on the session. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-86550550\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-634d5f0c4302fb6c66790f03744c9434 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-634d5f0c4302fb6c66790f03744c9434\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m proud of (GOP) Chairman Josh McKoon and our GOP Election Confidence Task Force and grassroots volunteers who have been working hard for the last two years to improve on an already very good SB 202,\u201d Brad Carver, Atlanta attorney and chairman of the Georgia GOP\u2019s Election Confidence Task Force, told me. <\/p>\n<p>The panel was created in the wake of the \u201cdramatic weaknesses\u201d exposed in Georgia\u2019s election administration following the pandemic-influenced 2020 general election. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/legislation\/document\/20212022\/201498\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB 202<\/a>, or the <a href=\"https:\/\/sos.ga.gov\/news\/court-continues-uphold-core-georgias-election-integrity-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Election Integrity Act of 2021<\/a>, fixed a good deal of what needed fixing in the Peach State\u2019s election administration, which was riddled with irregularities and integrity failures. But advocates for free and fair elections still needed to deal with Georgia\u2019s bloated voter rolls and public accountability measures to restore confidence in elections.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had a number of priorities that we have accomplished, but we prioritized cleaning the voter rolls above all else because we believe every legal vote in Georgia should count and should not be diminished by illegitimate votes,\u201d Carver added. <\/p>\n<p>The latest election integrity measures under the auspices of <a href=\"https:\/\/legiscan.com\/GA\/text\/SB189\/2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senate Bill 189 <\/a>make ballots cast, upon certification, public record, allowing election watchers to verify results and detect counterfeit ballots. That\u2019s a solid step forward from the current system, where the ballots are secretly counted in the machines. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-da3339ab402261f9da8b854ac75d024b fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-da3339ab402261f9da8b854ac75d024b\"><\/div>\n<p>Another provision strengthens the ballot chain of custody by ensuring there are no gaps in the ballot handling process. The protection should go a long way in preventing fraudulent ballots from being injected, longtime election integrity activist Garland Favorito <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/27\/georgia-legislature-tackles-key-election-integrity-measures-before-session-ends\/\">said<\/a> before last Thursday\u2019s 11th-hour vote.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose two provisions will solve problems that occurred in the past,\u201d the elections watchdog added. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/legislation\/66162\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">House Bill 976<\/a> also lays out standards for when parties and individuals may challenge invalid voter roll records. The bill allows challenges to those seeking to register to vote who are without a permanent residential address, reside outside the election jurisdiction, or have declared a homestead exemption in a different municipality or county, among other probable causes for a challenge.  <\/p>\n<p>Leftist activists have attacked such challenges as assaults on \u201cdemocracy and the freedom to vote.\u201d\u00a0The bill, awaiting the signature of Gov. Brian Kemp, \u201cadds new anti-democracy gimmicks to the existing repressive law, the Voting Integrity Act,\u201d according to The American Prospect, a publication co-founded by leftist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.influencewatch.org\/person\/robert-reich\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Robert Reich<\/a>, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/prospect.org\/blogs-and-newsletters\/tap\/2024-04-01-georgia-vote-suppression-brian-kemp-democracy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">piece <\/a>headlined, \u201cGeorgia\u2019s Latest Attack on the Right to Vote.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-245151fa8de9d5aa8d275876da510ffc fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-245151fa8de9d5aa8d275876da510ffc\"><\/div>\n<p>The voter integrity measure applies a set of standards to challenge a vote, which any Georgia voter may do if she suspects potential fraud.\u00a0Favorito said 95 percent of the challenges do not involve voters but voting roll records that do not truly represent an actual voter.  <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis shouldn\u2019t be controversial, but counties are refusing to remove the invalid voter roll records even when faced with corroborating evidence that the record is invalid,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/27\/georgia-legislature-tackles-key-election-integrity-measures-before-session-ends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said,<\/a> noting the tens of thousands of invalid voter records in each of Georgia\u2019s major metro counties. <\/p>\n<p>The ACLU of Georgia has threatened to sue if Kemp signs the bill into law. The governor is expected to do just that in the coming days.  <\/p>\n<p>The Republican-controlled Senate also passed House Bill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/legislation\/66159\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">974<\/a>, which requires that ballots in optical scan voting systems use a visible watermark security feature. It also calls for the secretary of state\u2019s office to post ballot images online and expands the number of elections subject to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/elections-and-campaigns\/risk-limiting-audits\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">risk-limiting<\/a>, post-election audits.<\/p>\n<p>Another bill making the cut last week requires Georgia elections workers to be U.S. citizens and includes protections for poll watchers and poll workers.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Max Burns, a Republican, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gpb.org\/lawmakers\/senate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> his colleagues that while election bills are known to \u201cget a bit testy,\u201d HB 1207 is \u201cabout as noncontroversial as they come.\u201d It passed on a mostly party-line vote after some contentious debate.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/legiscan.com\/GA\/text\/SB368\/2023\">bill<\/a> barring foreign nationals from cutting checks to Georgia politicians, campaigns, and political action committees is also awaiting the governor\u2019s signature.  <\/p>\n<p>A proposal that would have given the State Election Board the power to investigate Georgia\u2019s secretary of state died a painful death before the session\u2019s end. <\/p>\n<p>As my colleague Brianna Lyman <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/03\/28\/georgia-house-guts-bill-that-would-have-given-election-board-power-to-investigate-secretary-of-state\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a>, the Senate earlier this year <a href=\"https:\/\/senatepress.net\/senate-passes-legislation-to-empower-state-election-board-to-investigate-secretary-of-state.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">passed<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.ga.gov\/api\/legislation\/document\/20232024\/221230\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB 358<\/a>, which would have severed the secretary of state\u2019s role as \u201cex officio nonvoting member\u201d of the board. Doing so would give board members the authority to \u201cinvestigate the Secretary of State\u201d and \u201crequire the Secretary of State to cooperate with certain investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the House Committee on Governmental Affairs instead pushed a \u201csubstitute\u201d bill unrelated to the original measure, The Federalist reported. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger had objected to the proposal. House Republicans caved. <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-083658daf995769d2eeee729a243dbd2 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-083658daf995769d2eeee729a243dbd2\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Georgia lawmakers managed to pass crucial election integrity bills just in time after some negotiations. The State Senate was set to discuss House Bill 976, a comprehensive election integrity package, on the session&#8217;s last day, as per The Federalist&#8217;s recent report<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":656,"featured_media":2212793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-03-at-7.55.04-PM-1024x462.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2212792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Screenshot-2024-04-03-at-7.55.04-PM-1024x462.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2212792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/656"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2212792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2212792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2212793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2212792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2212792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2212792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}