by Nicholas Wang and Vilasini Nathan
Policy Pro/Con is a series designed to inform readers on the positives and the negatives of certain policies. Keep in mind that these arguments do not necessarily reflect the opinions of BTHS, the editors, The Helix, or even the writers. They are meant to present both sides of a topic.
Pro
by Nicholas Wang
Recently, the state of Georgia has been criticized for its new voting laws and policies. This bill—signed by Georgia governor, Brian Kemp—would shift the face of voting in Georgia and the US. While critics may claim the law is rooted in racism, the facts are far from that. This new legislation would create a far more secure form of voting that truly upholds the democratic traditions of the United States of America.
Firstly, this new Georgia law would require the extensive usage of voter ID as a prerequisite for voting in the state. voter ID allows voters to access voting booths securely as well as prevent election fraud. While some may claim that this is racist, these claims are based on the idea that is impossible for minorities to get voter ID. However many of these claims cite statistics while not providing a reason for these actions. Voter ID is also prevalent throughout the world, especially in the Global North, with nations such as Germany, France, Israel requiring voter ID for all elections. Not only does voter ID increase security in elections, but other developed nations also use voter ID to ensure that their elections are not compromised. Even developing countries, like India, make extensive use of voter ID. Voter ID is also popular with the people that opponents claim it oppresses; According to Gallup, 77% of non-white voters support voter ID laws. The omnibus bill has several benefits to make voting easier, including a significant extension of the window where voters have to cast their vote in the early voting system. This, too, is supported by 77% of non-whites and 81% of whites. Voter ID is not only a system that can increase voting security, the bill also provides Georgia with unique voting benefits.
Secondly, the financial impact of the Georgia omnibus bill has been unique and terrifying. With major American corporations and conglomerates taking their business out of Georgia, a dangerous new precedent has been created. The Major League Baseball organizations decision to move the All Star game from Georgia to Colorado, is just one shining example of this dangerous precedent. This ideal should be upheld on both sides of the aisle, where no commercial organization should involve themselves in politics. Suppose an organization decided to move their business out of state, just because they disagreed with legislation that had zero effect on them. This is the exact scenario that is happening in the Peach State, with companies being turned into a weapon by the Democratic Party to retaliate against Georgia’s Republican leadership. When corporations such as Coca-Cola move their business out of state, they are not hurting the Republican leadership, only the people of Georgia. The Georgia state congress and the governor do not benefit from the corporate interests of the MLB and Coca-Cola, but rather the Georgians themselves. This bill which is not racist or bigoted in any whatsoever, has poised to destroy the livelihoods of millions of people over a political difference.
Lastly, the requirements to vote in Georgia, the conditions set forward within the bill, are all legal and coherent. The voter ID that is being asked for can be a driver’s license or a state ID. If the line of thought that voter IDs are racist for simply being a means to identify yourself before you carry out civic duties, should driver's license be categorized as racist for being a means to identify yourself before you operate an automobile? Even if Georgians were not able to acquire a driver's license to thus get this form of identification, they can simply request it from the Georgia state government. This process is done for free, thus reducing the effects on poorer minorities. Criticism of this policy is mainly focused on the belief that people of color do not have the means to acquire such ID due to complications. Such complications entail not possessing a driver's license, social security or even a birth certificate, which people of color most certainly do have. Moreover, 97 percent of Georgians possess a driver's license, which can serve as a voter ID under this bill. The belief that minorities/POC are not skilled enough to acquire voter ID is racist within itself. Clearly, they have the intelligence to obtain an ID, and the process can be done at no cost.
In essence, the new voter laws in Georgia will provide a safer voting environment that will benefit Georgians across the state. Democratic, developed nations of the Global North have adopted this policy, and there is no way the United States should not follow suit. Democracy will only function if the voter base truly represents the people, and ID is the way forward. This bill has sparked a group of companies to take action against it, which has only hurt the people of Georgia, not her lawmakers. Not to mention, motivations must be considered. Is the lack of voter ID laws good for democracy or for the Democrats? The latter, evidently. The bill in itself requires basic preliminaries to vote that are not racist in nature at all. Remember, “The Ballot is stronger than the Bullet” - Abraham Lincoln, and in this case, a ballot with voter ID.
Sources
“Georgia Voter Identification Requirements2: Elections.” Georgia Voter Identification Requirements2 | Elections, sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections/georgia_voter_identification_requirements2.
McCarthy, Justin. “Four in Five Americans Support Voter ID Laws, Early Voting.” Gallup.com, Gallup, 28 Mar. 2021, news.gallup.com/poll/194741/four-five-americans-support-voter-laws-early-voting.aspx.
Dale, Daniel, and Dianne Gallagher. “Fact Check: What the New Georgia Elections Law Actually Does.” CNN, Cable News Network, 31 Mar. 2021, www.cnn.com/2021/03/31/politics/fact-check-georgia-voting-bill-law-elections-explained/index.html.
Corasaniti, Nick, and Reid J. Epstein. “What Georgia's Voting Law Really Does.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Apr. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/georgia-voting-law-annotated.html.
“Voter ID in Georgia.” Ballotpedia, ballotpedia.org/Voter_ID_in_Georgia.
Con
by Vilasini Nathan
The recent Senate Bill 202, Georgia’s new voting law, has made several changes to the voting process. Specifically, ID requirements, voting period, voting methods, and even refreshments on voting lines. This bill has gained a lot of attention with its passing, with some supporting it and others criticizing it. Overall, Georgia’s new voting is excessively strict and will make processes more difficult for voters and election officials alike.
One of the major changes in the voting process is the new ID requirements for absentee ballots. The bill now requires voters to provide a number for identification from a driver’s license or other ID or a Social Security number on the ballot. Voters were previously only required to print a signature on absentee ballots. Although the additional form of identification may be beneficial in preventing ineligible people from voting, it makes the process less convenient for voters. For instance, a simple mistake on the ballot when printing an ID number could cause the ballot to be thrown out entirely. However, this extra ID requirement also limits voter turnout, disproportionately affecting low-income and minority voters. Eleven percent of U.S. citizens do not have a government-issued ID, and limiting the ability of a certain group of voters to vote can significantly skew results.
This law has also heavily decreased accessibility to voting. For one, absentee ballots applications can no longer be sent out to all voters unless the voters specifically request them in advance. In the past, absentee ballot applications have been mailed out to all registered voters, and they often served as a reminder to voters to remember to register to vote. With these applications no longer available unless requested, there may be many cases of negligent voters. On top of this, the amount of time that voters have to request absentee ballots has been significantly decreased to starting 11 weeks before elections and ending 11 days before elections.
The amount of drop boxes in the state has also been decreased, with dropboxes now being limited to one per 100,000 active registered voters. This discourages the use of absentee ballots altogether, which may in turn decrease voter turnout. Additionally, rather than these drop boxes being kept outside so voters can drop off ballots at their convenience, the hours for early voting have been restricted to 7 A.M. to 7 P.M. Again, this may limit voter turnout due to the inconvenience of this system. The new law also bans the use of mobile voting centers, recreational vehicles which can take voters to polling places. In November, 11,200 voters used mobile voting centers in Atlanta, Georgia. The removal of such voting centers will decrease accessibility to voting for some voters.
Another controversial aspect of the new law is that food and drink cannot be offered to voters waiting in line within a 150 foot radius of the polling place or within 25 feet of voters on line. Legislators say the reason for this is to prevent any partisan groups from trying to sway the votes of voters, however, it also prevents non-partisan groups from offering food or water to people in line. This is especially an issue in places like Georgia where there tends to be longer lines in more populated areas. Long lines in nonideal weather without access to water due to this law may detract voters from voting in order to avoid such inconveniences.
Overall, the new bill is inconvenient for several reasons. For one, it discourages and prevents voter access from a certain demographic group. Additionally, it heavily decreases access to voting, and it may lead to less voter turnout. It also implements unnecessary restrictions on refreshments on lines. These new changes may have major consequences on voter turnout and election results in the future.
Sources
Barrow, B. (2021, April 19). Georgia's Abrams navigates voting law fight with eye on 2022. AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-stacey-abrams-boycotts-voting-rights-7b507a2305ae2e420ddd9b7dffa73c44.
Corasaniti, N., & Epstein, R. J. (2021, April 2). What Georgia's Voting Law Really Does. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/02/us/politics/georgia-voting-law-annotated.html.
Fowler, S. (2021, March 26). Georgia Governor Signs Election Overhaul, Including Changes To Absentee Voting. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/03/25/981357583/georgia-legislature-approves-election-overhaul-including-changes-to-absentee-vot.
Kenney, A., & Kim, C. (2021, April 7). Fact Check: How Colorado, Georgia Voting Laws Differ Despite Conservatives' Claims. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/07/984857562/fact-check-how-colorado-georgia-voting-laws-differ-despite-conservatives-claims.
Nadler, B. (2021, March 26). EXPLAINER: What does Georgia's new GOP election law do? AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/what-does-new-georgia-gop-election-law-do-87665a200f6442e28ef43cbc60c88653.
Schwartz, M. S. (2021, April 4). Georgia Governor Criticizes MLB For Buying Into Liberal 'Lies' About New Election Law. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/03/984150680/georgia-governor-criticizes-mlb-for-buying-into-liberal-lies-about-new-election-.