Biden Condemns Georgia's New Voting Law
President Calls the Measure "Jim Crow in the 21st Century"
Measure Tightens Voter ID Requirements and Limits Ballot Drop Boxes
In a strongly worded statement, President Joe Biden on Friday condemned Georgia's new voting law, calling it "Jim Crow in the 21st century" and an "attack on the sacred right to vote." The law, passed by the Republican-controlled Georgia legislature and signed by Governor Brian Kemp on Thursday, tightens voter ID requirements, limits the number of ballot drop boxes, and shortens the early voting period for runoff elections.
In his statement, Biden said the law was "designed to suppress the vote in communities of color" and that it violated the Voting Rights Act. He called on Congress to pass the For the People Act, which would expand voting rights nationwide, and urged the Justice Department to "take appropriate action" to protect the rights of voters in Georgia.
The Georgia law is part of a wave of Republican-backed voting restrictions that have been passed in several states since the 2020 election. These laws have been widely criticized by voting rights advocates, who say they will make it harder for people, particularly people of color, to cast their ballots.
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