The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against a new electoral law in Georgia that harms certain residents. Attorney General Garland says the law affects the rights of black voters.
Georgia, where Republicans have a majority in the regional parliament, passed the new legislation earlier this year. There are now stricter rules for determining which voters to vote. The law also prohibits distributing water to those queuing for polling. Democrats describe the law as racist because, for example, there are more queues at polling stations in black neighborhoods.
The state Congress passed the new rules after President Trump claimed his party had been harmed by widespread fraud. This claim has not been substantiated in a series of lawsuits. Other Republican-controlled states, such as Arizona, Florida, and Iowa, have also adopted electoral rules that penalize residents with a majority of Democrats’ votes.
‘The first of many steps’
“This lawsuit is the first of many steps we are taking to ensure that all eligible voters can vote,” Minister Garland said at a news conference. “We will examine new laws intended to make elections less accessible, and if we see violations of federal law, we will take action.”
Earlier this week, a new federal election law proposal in the US Senate failed. This law should better protect minority voting rights, reduce the influence of money in American politics and reduce the influence of parties on electoral districts. Fifty Republican senators voted against. Sixty votes were needed to pass the bill.
President Biden promised to take further steps to protect voting rights after the bill was rejected. He described Georgia’s new law as hateful.
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