The State Election Board in Georgia rejected a resolution calling on the General Assembly to restrict absentee voting in a split decision.
The board voted 3-2 against the resolution offered by Republican-appointed board member Janice Johnston, who had expressed concerns over security with no-excuse absentee voting.
In her resolution recommending the General Assembly to impose restrictions on the practice, which has been in place since 2010, Johnston says that the election board has heard from numerous voters about absentee voting.
Johnston proposed in her resolution that restrictions in place prior to the current law be reimposed on absentee voting, allowing for those absent from their precinct on Election Day, those unable to go to a polling place for official, religious, or caretaking reasons, and those 75 years old and older to vote absentee.
“Absentee-by-mail voting cannot and does not protect ballot secrecy, voter privacy or freedom from interference with the voting process,” Johnston said, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She also said that while the practice may seem “easy and convenient,” it really “creates doubt” in the process.
The rejection of the resolution indicates the board will not endorse eliminating the current absentee ballot requirements, meaning the General Assembly will likely not take action anytime soon.
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Georgia is expected to be one of the most fiercely contested states in November’s presidential election. Since President Joe Biden’s victory in the Peach State in 2020, supporters of former President Donald Trump have alleged widespread voter fraud and problems with the voting systems in the state — without evidence.
The General Assembly passed SB 202 in 2021, which strengthened election integrity and solidified early voting in the Peach State.
