Mullis introduces election reform bills
Stacey Abrams’ group says bills are aimed at voter suppression
Republican Sen. Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga is leading the charge to reform Georgia’s election system.
He has introduced a set of bills, if approved by the General Assembly, would eliminate no-excuse absentee voting, make those who are eligible for absentee voting submit identification, and prohibit ballot drop boxes.
“Our recent general election this past November highlighted a few areas of our
state’s election system that require urgent attention,” Mullis said Tuesday, Feb. 2. “Our right to vote is one of the most sacred and cherished practices of our democratic republic. When Georgians do not trust that their voices are properly being heard, we owe it to them to address their concerns and find the proper solutions to restore their confidence in the process.
“As legislators, we must do all we can to secure the right to vote and ensure that the will of the people is properly reflected in our election results. I hope that these bills will serve as a starting point to begin the conversation on how we can improve elections in our state.”
Mullis represents Senate District 53, which includes Catoosa, Dade, and Walker counties and portions of Chattooga County. He is chairman of the Senate Rules Committee.
Fair Fight, a voting rights group headed by Stacey Abrams, said the bills were designed to suppress voters, particularly those of color.
“This unhinged set of voter suppression legislation from a radical Senate Republican leadership appears intended to appease conspiracy theorists like those who stormed the Capitol last month,’ the group said.
“The bills are unnecessary by Republicans’ own assessments of the 2020 election, and designed to limit access and help Republicans stop losing elections in Georgia,” the group said. “Republicans wrote Georgia’s election laws, but they were humiliated on November 3 and January 5.
“Republicans wrote Georgia’s election laws, but they were humiliated on November 3 and January 5,” the group said. “They are seeking, transparently, to silence Georgians, particularly communities of color, who exercised their power to change Georgia. Fair Fight and our allies are prepared to fight every Republican attempt to roll back voting rights.”
In addition to the bills he will personally introduce, Mullis plans to advocate for and support bills filed by his colleagues to require ID verification when sending in an absentee ballot request.
Inspections are conducted by Environmental Health Services, a division of the county health departments.
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B: Satisfactory compliance with a numerical score of 80 to 89.
C: Marginal compliance with a numerical score of 70 to 79.
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