Stacey Abrams, Georgia voting rights activist, testified before the Senate Judicial Committee on Tuesday when she and others accused her state’s new voting law of being racist.
One of the requirements of the law that Democrats have attacked is that voters show proof of identity when they vote by mail using an absentee ballot. In the past, the state relied on signature verification, but the newly passed law dropped that in favor of proof of identity. Sens. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, grilled Abrams about these and other safety precautions.
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“My question to Ms. Abrams: Do you support voter identification laws?” Graham asked.
“Yes,” said Abrams. “There are 35 states in the United States that have voter identification laws. In fact, every state requires some form of identification. What I have objected to are restrictive voter identification laws that limit the range of materials allowed.[.]
“Do you support the idea that voting should be limited to American citizens?” Graham asked. Abrams replied, “Yes.”
“Do you support ballot harvesting?” Graham then asked, referring to the practice of third parties collecting and handing in ballots in absence.
Abrams said she does support this in the cases of Indians living on tribal lands who do not have adequate access to voting sites. She said she believes in such cases that “it is appropriate for tribal elders to collect and collect ballots and use a single source of delivery” so that people can vote.
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When asked if she supports ballot harvesting for non-Indians, she said that “it depends on the situation” and the type of behavior that collectors exhibit. She said that “each of these behaviors must be examined for usefulness and veracity.”
“Do you believe the Republican majority in Georgia – House, Senate – is making the changes to your state’s voting laws, do you think they are motivated by trying to suppress the African American vote?”
Abrams replied that she believes “the motivation behind certain provisions in SB202 is a direct result of the increased participation of colored communities in the 2020 and 2021 elections.”
Pressed on whether she believes Georgia Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones was motivated by a desire to restrict black voters, Abrams said she believes bills were inspired by “racial animus,” but not every person involved shared that sentiment. .
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Abrams went on to say that “regardless of a particular person’s heart, if the effect is detrimental to the ability of people of color to participate in elections, that is problematic and that is wrong and should be rejected by everyone.”
Later, however, Abrams said “intent is important” when discussing the voting laws of various states. Cornyn had noted that several states, including New York and Connecticut, are more restrictive in that they do not allow unapproved votes in the absence, while Georgia does. Abrams stressed that while those other states need to change, they are not racist like Georgia’s.
The two then held a back and forth on voter identification laws, with Abrams saying she objects to laws restricting who can participate in elections. She said the requirement for a ballot in the absence is inappropriately restrictive.
“So voter ID, sometimes it’s racist, sometimes it’s not racist?” Cornyn asked.
“The intention is always important, sir. And that’s the point of this conversation, that’s the point of Jim Crow’s story, ”Abrams said. “That Jim Crow didn’t just look at the activities, it looked at the intention, it looked at the behaviors disproportionately used by people of color.”
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Cornyn then tried to clarify what Abrams meant when she discussed the meaning of intention.
“So a voter ID with no malicious intent is okay?” he asked.
“No, sir, that’s not what I said,” Abrams replied, prompting Cornyn to transfer his questioning to another witness.