Federal Judge Upholds Key Georgia Absentee Ballot Restrictions

A federal judge upheld key absentee ballot provisions of Georgia’s 2021 election law, Senate Bill 202, which restricts third-party groups from distributing absentee ballot applications and prohibits sending prefilled absentee applications or multiple applications to the same voter. The judge ruled that the state demonstrated compelling governmental interests, including reducing voter confusion, enhancing voter confidence, and increasing electoral efficiency, to justify these restrictions despite First Amendment concerns. Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger praised the ruling, emphasizing the law’s role in protecting election integrity and preventing voter confusion. Voting rights groups challenged the law, arguing it limits free speech and voter participation, particularly harming historically underrepresented communities, and pledged to continue fighting the provisions in court. The Justice Department dropped its lawsuit against SB202 earlier in the year under President Donald Trump’s administration. This ruling is part of a series affirming Georgia’s controversial election law enacted after the 2020 presidential election, amid unproven claims of voter fraud by President Trump.