AG Garland announces lawsuit against Georgia over voting laws
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that the Justice Department is filing a lawsuit against Georgia, saying the state’s new voting restrictions infringe on the rights of Black voters.
Video Transcript
MERRICK GARLAND: Today, the Department of Justice is suing the state of Georgia. Our complaint alleges that recent changes to Georgia's election laws were enacted with the purpose of denying or abridging the right of Black Georgians to vote on account of their race or color in violation of section two of the Voting Rights Act. Several studies show that Georgia experienced record voter turnout and participation rates in the 2020 election cycle. Approximately 2/3 of eligible voters in the state cast a ballot in the November election, just over the national average. This is cause for celebration.
But then, in March of 2021, Georgia's legislature passed SB202. Many of that law's provisions make it harder for people to vote. The complaint alleges that the state enacted those restrictions with the purpose of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color.
