The part of the Georgia voter suppression law that banned food and drink for people who are waiting in line to vote has been blocked by a federal court.
Marc. E. Elias tweeted:
🚨BREAKING: Federal Court BLOCKS Georgia ban on providing food and water to people waiting in line to vote beyond 150 feet of polling places. A victory for voters and our clients! https://t.co/AvyZsoOlj8
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) August 18, 2023
The court correctly saw what Georgia Republicans were trying to do and found that denying people food and water while waiting in line to vote was a likely effort to infringe on the First Amendment rights of voters. Voters have a free speech right to cast their ballots and Republicans were trying to discourage people from using their right by creating long voting lines and a situation that would make the wait to vote intolerable.
This is an important ruling for democracy in the state of Georgia, and for everyone who believes that the Georgia voter suppression law won’t impact the state because of how the 2022 election went, the real test will come when voters go to the polls to pick the next president in 2024.
The courts have demonstrated that they are capable of being an effective backstop against right-wing authoritarianism and lawlessness. As the 2024 election gets closer the battle to protect voters will heat up, and some of these court decisions could determine the future of American democracy.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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