Gov. Brian Kemp has wrapped up the annual bill-signing season by putting his signature to a package of election law changes backed by Republicans but criticized by Democrats and voting-rights advocates.
Kemp signed the three bills on Tuesday, the deadline for the governor to either sign or veto legislation the General Assembly passed this year.
The three-bill package marked the latest bid by Georgia Republicans to overhaul state election laws in the wake of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory over incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in 2020.
Biden narrowly carried the Peach State, the first Democratic presidential candidate to do so since Bill Clinton in 1992.
Passing mostly along party lines, the package included:
• Senate Bill 189 makes it easier to file mass voter challenges, eliminates QR codes from paper ballots, and eases requirements for third-party presidential candidates to get on Georgia’s ballot.
• House Bill 1207 allows fewer voting machines on election days, requires poll workers to be U.S. citizens, and allows closer access for poll watchers.
• House Bill 974 requires the secretary of state to set up a statewide system to scan and post paper ballots at a minimum resolution. It requires more audits of statewide election results.
Republican supporters praised Kemp for signing into law legislation they said would promote the cause of election integrity.
“Although there is always more work to be done, our new laws will ensure even more accuracy, safety, and transparency,” said former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., now serving as chairwoman of Greater Georgia, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing voters and protecting election integrity.