“Where does the need for this bill come from?” said Debbie Buckner, a Democratic representative based near Columbus. “From the former president who wanted the election fixed and thrown out, even when the Georgian leadership told him they couldn’t do it if they wanted to.”
Zulma Lopez, who represents a majority minority district on the outskirts of Atlanta, said the bill would have an overwhelming impact on color voters. In her district, she said, the number of dropboxes would be reduced from 33 to nine. This was partly due to the fact that Democrats were excluded from the discussions.
“Almost 2.5 million Democrats voted in the 2020 general election,” Ms. Lopez said. “Yet the Democrats in this House have been excluded from any significant contribution to the preparation of this bill.”
Democratic state senators raised similar alarms during an afternoon debate.
“It’s like a Christmas tree full of goodies to suppress voters,” said Senator Jen Jordan, a Democrat from near Atlanta. “And let’s be clear, some of the most dangerous regulations have to do with running local elections.”
As a sign of the high tension in Georgia, Mr Kemp’s speech was abruptly interrupted after about 10 minutes. A Democratic State representative, Park Cannon, had attempted to attend the signing and remarks, but the doors to the governor’s office were closed.
After the officers refused to let her in, Ms. Cannon knocked lightly on the door. Two officers immediately arrested her, handcuffed her, and escorted her through the state capitol. Neither Ms. Cannon nor the governor’s office immediately responded to requests for comment.
Alan Powell, a Republican representative from northeast Georgia, defended the state’s bill, saying it would give consistency to an electoral system that was marginalized last year.
