Georgia Senate passes election reform legislation eliminating no-excuse absentee voting

Georgia’s Senate passed election reform legislation on Monday that contains various components, including that it would eliminate no-excuse absentee voting and limit mail-in ballots to individuals who qualify based on specific criteria.

The bill now moves on to the Georgia House Elections Integrity Committee where it is anticipated that it will pass in the next few weeks, according to the Epoch Times, which noted that there is a key deadline approaching: "The bill must pass by March 31 to have a chance of becoming law by the end of the 2021 legislative session in Georgia, subject to Gov. Brian Kemp's decision whether to sign or veto it," the outlet reported.

The legislation would nix no-excuse absentee voting, which has been permitted in the Peach State since 2005.

"Under the proposed legislation, those who are eligible to vote by mail will be limited to people who are physically disabled; or are over 65 years old; are eligible as a military or overseas voter; have a religious holiday around election day; work in elections; or somehow need to be outside their voting precinct during the early voting period and election day," the outlet reported.

The legislation calls for a telephone hotline to field reports about voter intimidation and election fraud that would be examined by the state's attorney general within three days, the Epoch Times reported. The outlet said that voter identification would be mandatory to request an absentee ballot under the legislation.