Georgia leaders reject calls for special session to change runoff voting rules

[tulipsandroses]

Georgia leaders reject calls for special session to change runoff voting rules

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday he won’t call a special legislative session to tighten residency requirements for the Jan. 5 runoffs, despite pressure from some supporters of President Donald Trump to make it harder for new residents to cast their ballots in the consequential election.
He and Georgia’s two top legislative leaders - Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and House Speaker David Ralston - released a joint statement that threw cold water on the idea that lawmakers could overhaul voting rules this close to the twin runoffs that could determine control of the Senate.
“Any changes to Georgia’s election laws made in a special session will not have any impact on an ongoing election and would only result in endless litigation,” the three Republicans said.

“We share the same concerns many Georgians have about the integrity of our elections. Therefore, we will follow the coming audit and recount closely and will work together to keep Georgia’s elections safe, accessible and fair.”
State Rep. David Clark, who was crushed this week in a bid to oust Ralston as new speaker, is among several Republicans who urged the governor to call lawmakers back to Atlanta. He said legislators should make it harder for newly-arrived Georgians to cast their ballots in the runoffs to prevent outsiders from “interfering in our elections.”

State law allows new residents to register to vote with county officials by Dec. 7. It also makes it a felony to vote if you are in the state briefly with the intention to move away.

Clark and other critics say it opens the possibility for a wave of out-of-state residents to move to Georgia for the dual runoffs, which pit U.S. Sen. David Perdue against Jon Ossoff and U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler against the Rev. Raphael Warnock.
There’s no evidence of a crush of out-of-state residents moving to Georgia for the election, though former presidential candidate Andrew Yang announced he would move to the state for the runoffs and encouraged his supporters to follow him. It’s not clear if Yang intends to register to vote.


[link:https://www.ajc.com/politics/politics-blog/kemp-rejects-calls-for-special-session-to-change-runoff-voting-rules/S7VSDC5PXJDVTH3FWZ3ZFJFU4U/|

[Renew Deal]

1. Do people move around just to vote?

[tulipsandroses]

2. I doubt it. I think this was just another attempt at voter suppression

Dems will be working hard to get out the vote. Republicans will be doing what they always do, not trying to win, just trying to cheat. I'm sure by trying to block "new residents" they could have made that fit whatever criteria they wanted to prevent people from voting.

[Hoyt]

8. It's been suggested here several times. Not my kind of thing.

[Indykatie]

3. Has Yang Said What the Heck He Plans To Do When He Gets to GA? Not Sure It Helps.

Abrams has managed without him or other outside high profile people having a presence in GA. I also have not seen where he is coordinating his plans with Abrams or that she and the other groups working on the ground asked him to come.

[moonscape]

4. Stay relevant? n/t

[oasis]

6. Yang can kick in some 💵cash💵to get things started.💰💰Money Talks.

[TheRealNorth]

5. I suppose if you had a vacation home in GA

people might be tempted to do change residencies. But

1) How many people have a vacation home in GA (and are not already GA residents)

2) of those, how many are not Republican.

[ecstatic]

7. Kkkemp knows what's up. We're watching him very closely. Nt