https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/americandemocracyminute/episodes/2022-03-28T07_31_36-07_00

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

In the wake of Georgia’s legislation last year adding layers of voter ID rules for mail ballots, limiting ballot drop boxes, and shortening the time in which to return those ballots, a bill passed last Tuesday in the Georgia House of Representatives piles on yet more restrictions.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that HB 1464 gives authority to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations to investigate suspected ballot or election irregularities, rather than election officials, adding a layer intimidation to the voting process. GBI assisted after the 2020 election and found no fraud.

Another provision in the bill would allow anyone to review a paper ballot, sacrificing the privacy of the voter. Current law only allows review of a ballot with a court order. Such provisions have been proposed around the country, and voting rights advocates see this as yet another way of intimidating voters.

Despite long lines at polling places in 2020, particularly in majority-minority communities, the bill sets the minimum number of voting machines to 1 per 250 voters, higher than current law. This could lead to even longer lines in November 2022.

The bill faces an April 4 deadline as the Republican-majority Georgia legislature winds up its session.

Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it’s something we DO.”

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.