A federal judge in Georgia ruled in favor of the state’s Election Integrity Act, which tightens registration dates and mail-in voting for runoff elections, noting that the law’s opponents could not provide evidence that Black voters were disproportionately affected by the law.
“Plaintiffs have not shown, at least at this stage of the proceedings, that the Runoff Provisions have a disparate impact on black voters,” U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee wrote in his opinion. He concluded that the plaintiffs “failed to show a substantial likelihood of success on the merits as to their claims that the Runoff Provisions intentionally discriminate against black voters in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Fifteenth Amendment.”
The law reduces the timeframe for runoff elections from nine weeks to four weeks and narrows the window for mail-in ballots. Georgia transitions to a runoff when no candidate secures a majority in its elections.
Georgia Republicans welcomed the court’s ruling, asserting that the law strengthens the voting process. “This ruling affirms what we have maintained all along — that Georgia’s Election Integrity Act is designed to ensure fair and secure elections for all citizens,” stated Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
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