Suit seeks to overturn Georgia law on homeless voter registration and voter challenges

ATLANTA (AP) — A new lawsuit seeks to overturn two provisions of a Georgia election law related to voter challenges.

The Georgia State Conference of the NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda filed suit on Tuesday in federal court in Atlanta, arguing that a law passed earlier this year by lawmakers unfairly discriminates against homeless people and voters registered at nonresidential addresses.

State Senate Ethics Committee Max Burns, a Republican from Sylvania, said he’s confident Senate Bill 189, which partly took effect in July, will hold up in court.

“The legal challenges to SB 189 were anticipated. It was crafted with the intent to withstand any such challenges, and we are confident that the state’s position will prevail, ensuring SB 189 remains the law of the land,” Burns, who sponsored the law, said in a statement Tuesday.

Part of the law lets people file legal challenges to the eligibility of voters registered at nonresidential addresses. County election boards decide whether to reject the challenge or uphold it. Supporters of the law argue many people are incorrectly registered at business addresses or even in empty lots instead of where they live. That means someone may be voting in the wrong precinct and the wrong local government and state legislative elections.

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