Abrams seeks to end unlimited donations to Georgia’s Kemp
After failing to secure the right to solicit unlimited campaign donations in the same manner as her opponent, Stacey Abrams is seeking to invalidate parts of a law that many say unconstitutionally favors Georgia incumbents. A 2021 Georgia state law currently authorizes the elected officials in the executive and legislative branches to form “leadership committees” to which donors can give as much financial support as they wish. The law could afford sitting Republican Governor Brian Kemp a significant advantage when seeking reelection this November.
Effort to boot Greene from ballot could open new avenue of attack
A federal judge has decided to permit the advance of a legal attempt to prohibit Republican US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA-14) from seeking reelection because of her alleged involvement in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. While observers suspect that Rep. Greene will remain on the 2022 ballot, the judge’s decision means that Greene will be the first sitting Republican Member of Congress forced to testify under oath about possible complicity in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th,
Proposed bill requires Americans to vote in elections or face penalty
Democratic US Representative John Larson (CT-1) has introduced a bill that would require all eligible, registered voters to vote in general elections or face a twenty dollar fine. The Civic Duty to Vote Act lists numerous exceptions to the potential law, including for citizens who are not registered, cannot vote for religious reasons, or were not aware that they were registered to vote. The bill also contains options to waive the twenty dollar fine due to financial or physical hardships. No criminal investigations of
‘A plot to destroy democracy’: civil rights group raises alarm at threats to US elections
The National Urban League, a non-partisan civil rights organization, has released a report claiming that state legislators and extremist groups are acting in an “insidious and coordinated” manner to sabotage democracy and Black Americans’ access to the ballot. The report focuses on suppression-based legislation, unfair redistricting decisions, and criminal intimidation and misinformation. It cites 34 restrictive laws passed in 2021 across 19 states, as well as 152 not-yet-passed bills at the state level with similar policies that have carried over into current legislative sessions.
Judge halts lawsuit against Shelby County Election Commission
A Tennessee judge has ruled that a lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission lacks sufficient evidence of voter suppression to proceed. UpTheVote901, the Shelby County NAACP, and the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis had sought redress for what they claimed was an insufficient number of polling places available in the first few days of early voting in the county’s primary. The groups also faulted the Election Commission for not alerting local church communities of its decision in case the churches wished to open