The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for May 28, 2025
Georgia law allows unlimited challenges by voters to the eligibility of other citizens registering or voting. Before a hotly-contested U.S. Senate runoff elections in 2021, an activist group challenged over 364,000 voters. The case is now before an appeals court.
Remember the Georgia legislature’s notorious SB 202, prohibiting “line warming”, the giving out of food and water for voters forced to wait in long lines to vote? That is only one of many barriers in the law targeting voters of color. Another allows citizen activists unlimited challenges to the eligibility of other citizens to register and vote, often using inaccurate, unreliable or hearsay information.
At issue are mass challenges to over 364,000 mostly Black and Hispanic voters by True the Vote, the Texas group which brought you the discredited “2000 Mules” conspiracy theory documentary. Georgia’s Fair Fight Action sued, but a federal district court said voters testifying didn’t provide enough evidence to rise to a Voting Rights Act violation.
In Fair Fight’s 11th Circuit appeal on May 13th, two judges in the three judge panel voiced concern over the legal foundation of the lower court’s decision. One judge suggested that the intent of voter suppression was enough to be a violation of the VRA, even if citizens voted successfully, according to reporting by the Georgia Recorder. Expect a decision in the coming weeks.
We have more on the case at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Legal Defense Fund – LDF’s Lawsuit Challenging Georgia’s Voter Suppression Law
Brennan Center for Justice – (2024) New Georgia Law Spurs Bogus Challenges to Voter Eligibility
U.S. District Court via Democracy Docket – 2020 Complaint by Fair Fight Action
Texas Tribune – (2022) She helped create the Big Lie. Records suggest she turned it into a big grift.
NBC News – Conservative activists find errors in software they hoped would root out voter fraud
Georgia Recorder – Federal court might revive Georgia lawsuit claiming mass challenges violate Voting Rights Act
Court House News – 11th Circuit looks for voter intimidation in 2020 election challenges by conservatives
Groups Taking Action:
Fair Fight Action, Legal Defense Fund, ACLU GA
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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