STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF SB 222

Today, on Sine Die, the Georgia State Legislature passed SB 222, a dangerous bill that further restricts funding for elections. As ProGeorgia and its partners well know, election administration officials have been under attack since 2020, and this latest bill - should Governor Kemp sign it into law - will be the latest in a long line of attempts to undermine democracy by overcomplicating the election process and under-resourcing the officials charged with administering it. 

By preventing outside funding for elections in counties that are already woefully underfunded and now face new unfunded mandates, this bill could detrimentally impact our elections processes. 

We remain encouraged, however, by our partners’ advocacy efforts, whether through their persistent lobbying or use of our voter advocacy hotline calls at 1-833-993-FAIR (3247). We may not have overcome this destructive piece of legislation, but with each passing day, we become more adept at empowering everyday people to become more vocal opponents of legislation that stands in the way of their right to freely access the ballot and make sure their voices are heard.

In the coming months, we will travel across the state on our GoVoteGA Advocacy Tour informing Georgia residents about the key issues addressed during this legislative session and will arm them with tools, resources, and information to better advocate their interests. SB 222 will be high on our list of topics, and with municipal elections this fall and primaries for the 2024 presidential election coming to Georgia next spring, we remain laser focused on making sure that people are prepared to show up and make their voices heard and counted each time there is an opportunity to do so. We will also continue to work with our partners in devising proactive solutions that support poll workers and election administration officials in ways that adhere to the new laws in this state. 

This has been an eventful legislative session, and in some ways, it wouldn’t have been complete without legislation that seeks to continue the gradual erosion of election integrity in this state. No matter what comes our way though, the battles we’ve overcome in the past three years make us all the more ready for anything that lies ahead.

SB 222 is a set-back, but it is by no means a failure. Now, we must focus our advocacy efforts on urging Gov. Kemp to veto this measure. Make no mistake: our coalition will not stop until Georgia’s electoral landscape lives up to its full potential.