The Political Implications Of Georgia’s New Voting Law

Protesters in favor of changes in Georgia’s voting laws hold signs inside the State Capitol in Atlanta, Ga., as the Legislature meets Monday, March 8, 2021, in Atlanta.

Ben Gray / AP Photo

Days after Republicans in the Georgia General Assembly passed a controversial new voting law, its concrete impact on voting access remains up for partisan debate. But what’s immediately clear about the law, are its political implications for 2022.

“It gives [both parties] something they probably are going to weave into their campaign messages,” said Charles Bullock, political scientist at the University of Georgia.

“Republicans will say, ‘Yeah, we’ve cleaned up the problems from 2020 and 2021.’ On the Democratic side, they will make use of this legislation, and argue that it is yet another effort by Republicans to suppress the Democratic vote,” he said.